tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18734538679842336072024-02-06T23:01:07.909-05:00Out of the OrdinarySite Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14092409812214063420noreply@blogger.comBlogger568125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-25478661826326390632020-05-11T05:00:00.000-04:002020-05-11T05:00:03.198-04:00The Place of Dependence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We live in a strange world, a world which presents us with tremendous contrasts. The high and the low, the great and the small, the sublime and the ridiculous, the beautiful and the ugly, the tragic and the comic, the good and the evil, the truth and the lie, these all are heaped up in unfathomable interrelationship. The gravity and the vanity of life seize on us in turn. Now we are prompted to optimism, then to pessimism. Man weeping is constantly giving way to man laughing. The whole world stands in the sign of humor, which has been well described as a laugh in a tear.<sup>1</sup> </blockquote>
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Herman Bavinck may have have written those sentences 111 years ago, but he could be describing the present. Life as we know it has changed drastically for the entire world. Every level of society has been impacted, and what we once knew may never return. I am more aware than I have ever been of the complex tangle of human lives, basic needs, information, and decisions that are "heaped up in unfathomable interrelationship."<br />
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In March, two pastors on Twitter asked if Christians would be willing to fast and pray for an hour on Friday afternoons regarding the coronavirus. I was gung-ho the first two weeks and eager to pray. The hour passed quickly as I prayed for everyone and everything I could think of. But as the weeks passed, the number of situations and people needing prayer seemed to grow exponentially. When the last prayer time rolled around, I began to think of government employees from national to local levels, medical staff and researchers, essential workers, the unemployed, the elderly, those with compromised health or mental illness, and the list went on and on. All these people so dependent on each other. Some have positions of authority with decision-making power over many. But there are others previously overlooked who we are literally depending upon for our daily bread. So many people. So many lives. Any attempt to untangle these interrelationships would inevitably result in harm to someone because this is a no-win situation. These thoughts were too overwhelming, so I had to give way to the tears and lament that had been building up inside. The only words left to pray were, "Lord, you know."<br />
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In our inmost selves, we are immediately -- without benefit of reasoning, that is, and prior to all reasoning -- conscious of ourselves as created, limited, dependent beings. We are dependent <i>upon </i>everything around us, upon the whole spiritual and material world. Man is a "dependent" of the universe. And further, he is dependent, <i>together with</i> other created things, and dependent this time in an absolute sense, on God who is the one, eternal, and real being.<sup>2</sup></blockquote>
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If our sole dependence rested on other fallible human beings, we would have good reason to fear. There is a limit to the best wisdom, knowledge, and skill any person can offer, and that "best" is still tainted with sin. But there is Someone greater, wiser, and more powerful undergirding our interrelationships and interdependence on each other. Someone on whom we truly depend. He is not the watchmaker god of the deists who winds the timepiece and observes what will happen from afar. Our God sees perfectly and judges righteously. His purpose will not waiver and neither will his love. He took on humanity that he might redeem us, purchasing pardon with his death and providing righteousness with his life.<br />
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As his children, we have an open invitation to the throne of grace. We are welcome to pour out our hearts in petition, but we are also free to come when we are too overwhelmed to even know what to pray. We can come to the end of our rope and the end of ourselves in this place of dependence. A place where Christ accepts a feeble, "Lord, you know," and gives us assurance that he does.<br />
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For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb. 4:15-16 NASB</blockquote>
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1. <i>The Wonderful Works of God</i>, Herman Bavinck, Westminster Seminary Press, 2019, pg. 29.<br />
2. Ibid. pg. 27.<br />
Photo attribution: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/Paulo%20Barcellos%20Jr.%20/%20CC%20BY-SA%20(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)" target="_blank">Paulo Barcellos Jr. </a>/ CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)Persishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17686511618515789601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-27342886144990272952020-04-27T05:00:00.000-04:002020-04-27T05:00:04.997-04:00Review: Becoming Sage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqv27q12f1carQurdXLoLv_rdUhSs2ecS7E3p3ApnFDO3B_8_GBxfl1fOjt7yI835hTCFr8Ua_RdlLLxkT04LI6oU5NZul5RzZs8xsk4ciZw7r8QlluTxmEBkazb-5DntEtRcO018GzCo/s1600/becoming+sage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="328" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqv27q12f1carQurdXLoLv_rdUhSs2ecS7E3p3ApnFDO3B_8_GBxfl1fOjt7yI835hTCFr8Ua_RdlLLxkT04LI6oU5NZul5RzZs8xsk4ciZw7r8QlluTxmEBkazb-5DntEtRcO018GzCo/s200/becoming+sage.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<i><a href="https://www.moodypublishers.com/books/evangelism-and-discipleship/becoming-sage/" target="_blank">Becoming Sage: Cultivating Meaning, Purpose, and Spirituality in Midlife </a></i>by Michelle Van Loon, Moody Publishers, 2020, 201 pages.<br />
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When I was a young adult, I had dreams of what life would be like after the next 30-40 years. Now that I have reached this stage, hardly any of those expectations turned out as I had hoped. I could either be thrown for a loop or see this as an opportunity to grow. And this pursuit of Christian maturity in midlife is the topic of Michelle Van Loon's new book, <i>Becoming Sage.</i><br />
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She writes that we often get the wrong idea that maturity is a given once we reach a certain age. We also get the wrong idea that discipleship is only for the young. But "maturity is not a destination but an on-going process." (pg. 10) This time of life with its disappointments and unexpected turn of events is an invitation to become<i> sage</i> - "a way of life in which a person expresses experience, knowledge, insight, and self-mastery." (pg. 11)<br />
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In the first section of the book, Michelle addresses defining and understanding maturity. Midlife is an opportunity to assess our Christian growth and see where we may have gotten lopsided. She describes discipleship models that emphasize one aspect of ourselves over the others leaving us imbalanced. For example, discipleship that is more imitation fueled by peer pressure or an overemphasis on mental knowledge that neglects character formation. However, true wisdom should be holistic and integral to all areas of our lives - heart, soul, mind, and strength. She then uses the life of King David as an example of stages in our faith from its beginning through the end of life. As we age, the zeal, energy, and certainty of youth begin to be tested when our growth doesn't follow a neat and tidy trajectory. We also begin to realize that the strength of a younger faith won't automatically give us success later in life. But these challenges can bring humility, greater communion with God, and the desire to pass on what we know to the next generation.<br />
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The second section of the book focuses on becoming sage in specific areas in midlife and beyond. These are:<br />
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<li>the local church</li>
<li>family</li>
<li>friendship</li>
<li>our physical bodies</li>
<li>our legacy (financial and otherwise)</li>
<li>mental health</li>
<li>vocation</li>
<li>facing our mortality</li>
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Within these topics, Michelle discusses issues such as finding one's place in a youth-focused church, the loss of a spouse and other family changes, loneliness, aging bodies, and financial challenges. She also addresses the importance of emotional health for our spiritual well-being and coming to terms with our callings.<br />
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<i>Becoming Sage </i>is not a to-do list or how to become a mature believer in 12 steps. Neither does the author make her experience prescriptive for her readers, which I greatly appreciate. Rather Michelle brings to our attention areas that are worth examining before the Lord in the light of his Word. Some of these are often overlooked when it comes to discipleship such as the challenge of aging bodies and the struggles of mental health. I especially liked chapter 9, <i>From Doing to Being</i>, on vocation. I could relate to her example of looking too often in the mirror of other people's expectations to discern direction for one's life. I was also encouraged that God does not waste any of our losses and that what moves us to tears may help clarify our callings. There was a good balance of personal examples and topic content, and the chapters flowed well together. Even though one isn't supposed to judge a book by its cover, I think the cover is beautiful.<br />
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So if you want to be encouraged to press on to spiritual growth in midlife, I highly recommend <i><a href="https://www.moodypublishers.com/books/evangelism-and-discipleship/becoming-sage/" target="_blank">Becoming Sage</a></i>.<br />
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Loving God heart, soul, mind, and strength is not separated into four different-but-related silos of our lives. Each is meant to be integrated so our one-and-only life is lived in growing communion with God. Becoming sage means becoming whole. (pg. 29)</blockquote>
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I received a copy of this book from Moody Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."Persishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17686511618515789601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-74642190650821607252020-04-13T05:00:00.000-04:002020-04-13T05:00:07.049-04:00Lessons from the Empty Nest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I read a book a few years ago, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unashamed-Healing-Brokenness-Finding-Freedom/dp/1433550709" target="_blank"><i>Unashamed </i>by Heather Nelson</a>, that undid me. Her chapter on parenting and shame deeply convicted me, and I went to my daughter in tears asking for her forgiveness. That undoing was the beginning of a positive change in our relationship. Better communication, better listening, and better understanding along with the help of a great Christian counselor. We're still learning and growing, but I am also aware of the times when I failed her and probably contributed to some of the issues she is presently dealing with. This knowledge is one of the reasons why I want to swoop in and make things all right thinking that perhaps I can make it up to her and undo the past.<br />
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This very issue came up in a recent conversation when I was beginning to worry about her, though I said nothing. Thankfully, my daughter could read between the pauses and picked up on my fear. She called me out to her credit. When I finally admitted that my desire to try to help her stemmed from wanting to make up for the past, she reminded me that I can't atone for myself. And she also gently reminded me that's why I need Jesus.<br />
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The gospel is the only remedy for mom guilt. I can't atone for my sins as a parent, which is why Jesus died. I could never be the perfect Christian parent, which is why Jesus lived. And his atoning work and righteousness revealed apart from the law is received by faith - in him - alone.<br />
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As hard as I tried and still try to be a good mom, God is her perfect parent, the all-wise, all-loving Father who is really responsible for all the details of her life. I will fail again, but He cannot. I will misjudge and misunderstand, but He sees and knows perfectly. My presence and influence are limited now. He never leaves nor forsakes. He restores. He renews. And the only way she could be disinherited is if her Father becomes displeased with the work of the Son.<sup>1</sup> As a middle-aged empty-nester, I need that fatherly care just as much.<br />
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They say you never outgrow being a parent. Well, you never outgrow being a child of God.<br />
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1. If you want to be encouraged, here are <a href="https://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?sourceonly=true&currSection=sermonssource&keyword=gracebaptistchapel&subsetcat=series&subsetitem=RBFVA+Keach+Conference+2019" target="_blank">some messages on the doctrine of adoption</a>. The source of that sentence is from the first talk by my pastor. (My struggles came to light the evening after the conference when adoption was fresh in my mind. God is so kind.)<br />
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(This post was originally shared on <a href="https://triedbyfire.blogspot.com/2019/10/more-lessons-from-empty-nest.html" target="_blank">my personal blog in September 2019)</a>Persishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17686511618515789601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-56489472278071822082019-09-13T05:00:00.000-04:002019-09-13T05:00:07.872-04:00Five Star Links<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm1IjT46my95L5cI61PMgFBIWjM1w7Y_oYTe-XKPMSfDmk5iWwCn-5rRa5kbp1ElpfA9KfXmETCjJqbGq4TbsvRMuVcw440hc8WKp5bYFerxRenRWu9DFA8WN-Gf0L-CxqviCD0gz6Q4/s1600/rating-153609_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="640" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm1IjT46my95L5cI61PMgFBIWjM1w7Y_oYTe-XKPMSfDmk5iWwCn-5rRa5kbp1ElpfA9KfXmETCjJqbGq4TbsvRMuVcw440hc8WKp5bYFerxRenRWu9DFA8WN-Gf0L-CxqviCD0gz6Q4/s400/rating-153609_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Each Friday, we share links we found especially interesting or inspiring during the previous week. </i></div>
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<b>Persis:</b></div>
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As human beings, we are body and soul, and our souls include thinking and emotion. However, it is easy to pit one against the other, and we become imbalanced. That's why I appreciated this article by Brian Borgman - <a href="https://corechristianity.com/resource-library/articles/god-cares-about-how-you-feel" target="_blank">"God Cares About How You Feel"</a>. Rather than elevating vs. suppressing our emotions, God is restoring them. </div>
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Our emotions received the fatal infection of original sin and a fallen human nature. Like a few drops of dye into a pitcher of water, every molecule of our nature has been colored by the toxic dye of sin. Emotions, which were designed to be good and work in tandem with the mind and will, now either dominate or become dormant. On the one hand, they can dominate our thinking so that what controls us is how we feel, how we determine what is true is based on how we feel, and how we relate to others is based on how we feel about them. The chaos of such life can be painful. On the other hand, trying to ignore or repress our emotions (and be like a Star Trek Vulcan rather than a human) is also a recipe for disaster. Truth and beauty in God and in life become black and white, and we fail to be whole people. What we need in our mangled humanity is full restoration.</blockquote>
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<b>Rebecca:</b></div>
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Lamentations is one book of the Bible that I haven't spent a lot of time in. But this piece made me want to change that: <a href="https://credomag.com/2019/09/how-to-read-lamentations-theologically/">How to Read Lamentations Theologically</a>. Or, to put it another way: What does Lamentations teach us about God?</div>
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As I was searching for this link, I found a similar piece from a few years ago: <a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/erik-raymond/can-your-theology-handle-the-book-of-lamentations/">Can Your Theology Handle the Book of Lamentations?</a></div>
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If you can’t handle the themes and trajectories of Lamentations then you can’t handle the gospel. Every thread in this book is divinely stitched to Calvary.<span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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Therefore, take up and read Lamentations!</div>
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Now I <i>really</i> want to!</div>
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Rebecca Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648669478887197766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-31741627557933765502019-09-04T05:30:00.000-04:002019-09-04T05:30:15.967-04:00Review: Not Forsaken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Not-Forsaken-Brought-Victim-Survivor/dp/1784984388" target="_blank">Not Forsaken: A Story of Life After Abuse</a></i>, Jennifer Michelle Greenberg, The Good Book Company, 2019, 232 pages.<br />
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<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Not-Forsaken-Brought-Victim-Survivor/dp/1784984388" target="_blank">Not Forsaken</a></i> by Jennifer Michelle Greenberg began as series of letters to her husband to try to explain the trauma and emotional, mental, and physical aftermath of her child abuse. She also wrote for her own understanding of herself and to try to make sense of what she endured. Those letters became this book, and I am so glad she wrote it for the rest of us.<br />
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The book begins with memories from Jenn's childhood. Painful memories of fear and betrayal. But also memories of crying out to God to be the father she did not really have. These recollections, while written with discretion, are raw and a window into the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father who was a professing Christian.</div>
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The subsequent chapters work through the questions that she had to come to terms with. Was she really abused? Does Jesus understand? Jenn also deals with the issues of trauma, which she describes as a "concussion of the heart," self harm, guilt, and more. The misunderstanding that victims endure regarding reporting, the fear of not being believed, and pain of being doubted are eye-opening especially for readers who haven't suffered abuse. Also basic concepts like being made in God's image, the fatherhood of God, and love itself have been so distorted that they needed to be learned perhaps for the first time. Jenn's chapter on forgiveness is one of the best that I have ever read. She upholds the grace of God for sinners in balance with the need for repentance, God's justice, and care for the victims.</div>
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I had a hard time putting the book down once I started reading it, although there were times I had to pause and cry. Jenn's writing is candid, powerful, and full of hope in the God who did not forsake her. In her reflections, she sometimes incorporates the stories of other survivors but always draws her conclusions from the Word of God. While<i> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Not-Forsaken-Brought-Victim-Survivor/dp/1784984388" target="_blank">Not Forsaken</a></i> isn't meant to be prescriptive or a clinical manual, it provides spiritual and practical insight on how to support and not add to the hurt through ignorance or misunderstanding.<br />
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I strongly recommend <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Not-Forsaken-Brought-Victim-Survivor/dp/1784984388" target="_blank">Not Forsaken</a></i>. If you are a victim/survivor, you will find a compassionate friend who has walked a similar path. If you are a church leader or anyone who cares about the suffering of others, this book is for you, too. It will help you to better love and support the child abuse victim/survivor who may be in your family, next door, or in the next pew.</div>
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I received a copy of this book from <a href="https://www.thegoodbook.com/" target="_blank">The Good Book Company</a>. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."</div>
Persishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17686511618515789601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-33843832225224270772019-08-09T06:00:00.000-04:002019-08-09T06:00:08.062-04:00Five Star Links<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm1IjT46my95L5cI61PMgFBIWjM1w7Y_oYTe-XKPMSfDmk5iWwCn-5rRa5kbp1ElpfA9KfXmETCjJqbGq4TbsvRMuVcw440hc8WKp5bYFerxRenRWu9DFA8WN-Gf0L-CxqviCD0gz6Q4/s1600/rating-153609_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="640" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm1IjT46my95L5cI61PMgFBIWjM1w7Y_oYTe-XKPMSfDmk5iWwCn-5rRa5kbp1ElpfA9KfXmETCjJqbGq4TbsvRMuVcw440hc8WKp5bYFerxRenRWu9DFA8WN-Gf0L-CxqviCD0gz6Q4/s400/rating-153609_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://torreygazette.com/blog/2019/8/8/can-we-identify-our-lack" target="_blank">Can We Identify Our Lack?</a> by Joshua Torrey</div>
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How am I participating in the fellowship of the body by letting people serve me? Not just in a superficial way (beer and mangos are delicious and good for my soul) but in a deeply<i> dependent </i>way. For that is precisely what it means to reject a theology of perfectionism—announcing a lack that can only, for now, be fulfilled by the church community. We can hear the echoing warning from Paul, “If anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”</blockquote>
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<b>Kim:</b></div>
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Yes, another good video from Bill Mounce! In all honesty, in the past couple of weeks, I have read almost no blogs. I've started working on my research project for one of my classes, and I just haven't been online a lot.</div>
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I have listened to this video, and I think Mounce is absolutely right: our bodies were made to move. Because we live in a very technological world, our bodies have no need to do what our ancestors before us had to do. That means our bodies are not being used as they could be. In the past four months, I have exercised more than I have since I was 15 years old. It has made a huge difference to my energy level, my attitude and my concentration.</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-hR-56rw30">What I've Learned About Publishing: Exercise. </a></div>
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<b>Rebecca:</b></div>
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When Jesus was facing his death, in his farewell discourse to his disciples, he began to reveal "the inner nature of God to them. " He began to show them that God is Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. </div>
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Many Christians tend to think of the Trinity as an impractical, speculative doctrine. But not so the Lord Jesus. For Him, it is neither speculative nor impractical—but the very reverse. It is the foundation of the gospel. Without the love of the Father, the coming of the Son, and the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, there simply could be no salvation. </blockquote>
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Read the rest of <a href="https://www.ligonier.org/blog/deep-theology/">Deep Theology</a> by Sinclair Ferguson.</div>
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Rebecca Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648669478887197766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-36761104147284660502019-07-26T05:00:00.000-04:002019-07-26T08:48:26.642-04:00Five Star Links<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm1IjT46my95L5cI61PMgFBIWjM1w7Y_oYTe-XKPMSfDmk5iWwCn-5rRa5kbp1ElpfA9KfXmETCjJqbGq4TbsvRMuVcw440hc8WKp5bYFerxRenRWu9DFA8WN-Gf0L-CxqviCD0gz6Q4/s1600/rating-153609_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="640" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm1IjT46my95L5cI61PMgFBIWjM1w7Y_oYTe-XKPMSfDmk5iWwCn-5rRa5kbp1ElpfA9KfXmETCjJqbGq4TbsvRMuVcw440hc8WKp5bYFerxRenRWu9DFA8WN-Gf0L-CxqviCD0gz6Q4/s400/rating-153609_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Each Friday, we share links we found especially interesting or inspiring during the previous week. </i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times";"><b>Rebecca:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times";">Do you imagine God looking into the future to discover what will be? Is this <a href="https://credomag.com/2019/07/the-future-how-does-god-know-it-2/">how he knows what will happen</a>? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times";"><b>Persis:</b></span><br />
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A very helpful podcast about a difficult topic. <a href="https://thereformedphilosopher.com/2019/07/24/gp-podcast-ecclesiastical-dogmatism-1/" target="_blank">Ecclesiastical Dogmatism: Abuse in the Church.</a></div>
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Rebecca Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648669478887197766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-42187491652253520102019-07-22T05:00:00.000-04:002019-07-22T05:00:03.214-04:00Quotes of Note<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfFaWS_pwRKXsKIZSljsn3fkWQOhk2bdvSssOtLXwuyHYvH6JUveqwlK3w0o8lwUVO1jP0Cb2lSpDnw7E437_q_9yET-lq8sauR0xbgtaT1dSUlWbXzizoofq0elFCQMpUzRyZKt1CFA/s1600/Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="612" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfFaWS_pwRKXsKIZSljsn3fkWQOhk2bdvSssOtLXwuyHYvH6JUveqwlK3w0o8lwUVO1jP0Cb2lSpDnw7E437_q_9yET-lq8sauR0xbgtaT1dSUlWbXzizoofq0elFCQMpUzRyZKt1CFA/s400/Books.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Each Monday, we share quotes we found encouraging, convicting, thought-provoking, or all of the above.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><b>Persis:</b><br />
<br />
This is a quote from <i>Forbearance: A Theological Ethic for a Disagreeable Church </i>by James Calvin Davis. I wanted to read this book because of the question that opens the preface:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
What happens when we approach theological disagreement not as a problem to solve or a crisis to endure, but as an opportunity to practice Christian virtue? ... Of course, some Christians may be concerned that a call for forbearance sounds like I am asking us to soften or abandon our commitment to what we think is right and true... To the contrary, forbearance invites us to believe, to defend our convictions, and to pursue what we think is right and true in God's eyes. But it invites us to do all of that good work with a certain character and attitude, so that our pursuit of justice and truth itself is reshaped by the practice of forbearance.</blockquote>
This practice of forbearance intrigues me because disagreement between Christians has become more divisive of late. Thus I am curious about what the author has to say.<br />
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<b>Rebecca:</b><br />
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God's omnipotence and his care for us go together, writes Matthew Barrett in <i>None Greater. </i>The lives of<i> </i>Sarah and Hannah are examples of this:<br />
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Though women like Sarah and Hannah were embarrassing to society—barren and cursed—they were God's instruments of salvation, through which the seed of Genesis 3:15 would come to crush the serpent's head. The point is, the wisdom of God's power is displayed in our weakness. His wise omnipotence shines bright in our darkest hour.</blockquote>
One of my favorite truths is that God is accomplishing his wise purposes in our suffering. But I don't think I'd put it together quite like this before: As God works his plan through our weakness, his wisdom and power are revealed. His glory shines bright in a way it would not otherwise. <br />
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This is one universal good purpose for every bit of suffering we endure.Persishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17686511618515789601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-47553740964603472332019-07-15T05:00:00.000-04:002019-07-15T05:00:01.350-04:00Quotes of Note<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfFaWS_pwRKXsKIZSljsn3fkWQOhk2bdvSssOtLXwuyHYvH6JUveqwlK3w0o8lwUVO1jP0Cb2lSpDnw7E437_q_9yET-lq8sauR0xbgtaT1dSUlWbXzizoofq0elFCQMpUzRyZKt1CFA/s1600/Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="612" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfFaWS_pwRKXsKIZSljsn3fkWQOhk2bdvSssOtLXwuyHYvH6JUveqwlK3w0o8lwUVO1jP0Cb2lSpDnw7E437_q_9yET-lq8sauR0xbgtaT1dSUlWbXzizoofq0elFCQMpUzRyZKt1CFA/s400/Books.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Each Monday, we share quotes we found encouraging, convicting, thought-provoking, or all of the above.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>Rebecca:</b><br />
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On the relationship between the kingdom of God and the cross from <i>The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross</i> by Patrick Schreiner:<br />
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At times an emphasis on the kingdom [of God] displaces or at least shifts attention away from a theology of the cross. It seems that we are prone to speak either of the kingdom or of the cross, unintentionally driving a wedge between the two. However, it is precisely in Jesus’s announcement, “The kingdom of God is at hand,” that he presupposes the kingdom will be accomplished by his death. The kingdom is not a higher or more important theme than the cross. These two realities are forever joined; separating them is an act of violence.<br />
<br />
If the kingdom is the <i>goal</i>, then the cross is the <i>means</i>. But this does not mean that the cross simply falls between the ages. Rather, it is the wheel that shifts one age into another; it is the great transition piece, the turn of the ages for the people of God seeking their place. Martin Luther said that the cross must be the test of everything, and that includes a biblical theology of the kingdom. Jesus becomes King <i>through</i> the cross.</blockquote>
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<b>Persis:</b><br />
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Here's another quote from <i>None Greater </i>by Matthew Barrett which is fitting since my pastor preached yesterday from Romans 3.<br />
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[T]he just God has not compromised his holy character by passing over sins but has put forward <i>his own Son </i>as a propitiation. He has not given grace at the expense of his righteousness, but his righteousness itself has produced grace. Christ is the perfect sacrifice, the holy substitute, whose spilled blood satisfies divine justice itself. The cross is the way - the only way - God can remain righteous and just yet legitimately justify guilty sinners, like you and me. At the cross, justice and mercy kiss. For God is both “just and the justified of the one who has faith in Jesus.”</blockquote>
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<b>Kim:</b><br />
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Grant Osborne, in his <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Matthew-Zondervan-Exegetical-Commentary-Testament/dp/0310243572">commentary</a> on Matthew, talks about chapter 5 verse 20:<br />
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The problem is inherent in all legalistic movements: certain patterns are identified with holiness, but they are too easily external (acted out) rather than internal (truly believed and lived). The result is hypocrisy (see Matt 23). Therefore, a mere righteousness by fiat is insufficient. The lifestyle God demands of the heart, lived out in daily actions.</blockquote>
Persishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17686511618515789601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-76252212253277625802019-07-08T05:00:00.000-04:002019-07-08T06:46:13.717-04:00Quotes of Note<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfFaWS_pwRKXsKIZSljsn3fkWQOhk2bdvSssOtLXwuyHYvH6JUveqwlK3w0o8lwUVO1jP0Cb2lSpDnw7E437_q_9yET-lq8sauR0xbgtaT1dSUlWbXzizoofq0elFCQMpUzRyZKt1CFA/s1600/Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="612" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfFaWS_pwRKXsKIZSljsn3fkWQOhk2bdvSssOtLXwuyHYvH6JUveqwlK3w0o8lwUVO1jP0Cb2lSpDnw7E437_q_9yET-lq8sauR0xbgtaT1dSUlWbXzizoofq0elFCQMpUzRyZKt1CFA/s400/Books.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Each Monday, we share quotes we found encouraging, convicting, thought-provoking, or all of the above.</i><br />
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<b>Persis:</b><br />
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From <i>None Greater </i>by Matthew Barrett:<br />
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Sin against an infinite God cannot be atoned for by a Savior who has emptied himself of his divine attributes. No, it is his divine attributes that qualify him to make atonement in the first place. Sin against an infinite God can be met only by a Savior who is himself deity - and all the perfections identical with that deity - in infinite measure.</blockquote>
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<b>Rebecca:</b><br />
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Well! My chosen quote is from <i>None Greater</i> by Matthew Barrett, too. This not surprising, really, because this book is full of quotable bits.<br />
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While we may long for that day [the day we see our Savior face-to-face] with great expectation, we do not look for it as those who have not tasted of it here and now. While the banquet may be yet to come, already we have tasted its firstfuits. We may await the new heavens and earth, but on this earth, this side of glory, the Spirit is with us and within us. Every guarantee of that future day is assured in the ongoing, persistent, and unrelenting presence of the Spirit in our daily Christian lives. Every little victory over indwelling sin and every little desire to love others as Christ has loved us is a sign that the Spirit is at work in us, preparing us for that final day. The Spirit truly is a gift through whom we, as his little temples, enjoy fellowship with our Triune God . . . .</blockquote>
<b>Kim:</b><br />
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And while I've purchased <i>None Greater</i>, my quotation is not from that book :)<br />
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From Paul Tripp's <i>Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands:</i><br />
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If we want to know what people really want, we have to learn about their emotional life. Happiness is the result of getting what my heart craves. Discouragement is the emotional response of my heart when a thing I live for moves farther away from me. My heart is filled with fear when I suddenly lose what I am convinced I need. In short, our emotions reflect what we worship.</blockquote>
Persishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17686511618515789601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-30422527069959734852019-06-28T05:00:00.000-04:002019-06-28T05:00:02.810-04:00Five Star Links<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm1IjT46my95L5cI61PMgFBIWjM1w7Y_oYTe-XKPMSfDmk5iWwCn-5rRa5kbp1ElpfA9KfXmETCjJqbGq4TbsvRMuVcw440hc8WKp5bYFerxRenRWu9DFA8WN-Gf0L-CxqviCD0gz6Q4/s1600/rating-153609_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="640" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm1IjT46my95L5cI61PMgFBIWjM1w7Y_oYTe-XKPMSfDmk5iWwCn-5rRa5kbp1ElpfA9KfXmETCjJqbGq4TbsvRMuVcw440hc8WKp5bYFerxRenRWu9DFA8WN-Gf0L-CxqviCD0gz6Q4/s400/rating-153609_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Each Friday, we share links we found especially interesting or inspiring during the previous week. </i></div>
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<b>Persis:</b><br />
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"As a people, we must strive to return to what’s true: That life is precious. Each life is unique. Each one irreplaceable. Each one unrepeatable." <a href="https://gcdiscipleship.com/article-feed/2019/6/24/on-suicide-we-are-our-brothers-keepers" target="_blank">On Suicide: We Are Our Brothers' Keepers</a><br />
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<b>Rebecca</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.tms.edu/blog/why-should-i-read-deuteronomy/">Why Should I Read Deuteronomy?</a> Not only will this piece make you want to read Deuteronomy, but it can also guide as you make your way through the book. Persishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17686511618515789601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-45212825879614398062019-06-14T05:00:00.000-04:002019-06-16T11:38:17.940-04:00 Five-Star Links<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm1IjT46my95L5cI61PMgFBIWjM1w7Y_oYTe-XKPMSfDmk5iWwCn-5rRa5kbp1ElpfA9KfXmETCjJqbGq4TbsvRMuVcw440hc8WKp5bYFerxRenRWu9DFA8WN-Gf0L-CxqviCD0gz6Q4/s1600/rating-153609_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="640" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm1IjT46my95L5cI61PMgFBIWjM1w7Y_oYTe-XKPMSfDmk5iWwCn-5rRa5kbp1ElpfA9KfXmETCjJqbGq4TbsvRMuVcw440hc8WKp5bYFerxRenRWu9DFA8WN-Gf0L-CxqviCD0gz6Q4/s400/rating-153609_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Each Friday, we share links we found especially interesting or inspiring during the previous week. </i></div>
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<b>Persis:</b></div>
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<i><a href="https://credomag.com/article/on-first-principles-2/" target="_blank">God Does Not Need You... And That's Good News!</a></i> by Matthew Barrett</div>
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If God were a needy God, he would need our help just as much as we need his. What good news it is, then, that the gospel depends on a God who does not depend on us.</blockquote>
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<b>Rebecca:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I married young, and if I had it to do over again, I'd do exactly the same thing. So I heartily endorse this message: <a href="https://amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/274293/"><i>The Case For Getting Married Young</i></a>. [<b>Update</b>: Someone pointed out that the Atlantic chose a photo of two male hands to accompany this article. I hadn't noticed this when I shared the link. It is a very unfortunate choice, because Karen Swallow Prior definitely has marriage between a man and a woman—her own marriage in particular—in mind in this piece. I am going to leave the link up, because I hate it when people just delete things and act as if they never happened in the first place. The article itself is good, but the photo—which Karen probably had no control over—is not. I am sorry I didn't see it before I shared the link in the first place.]<br />
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<b>Kim:</b><br />
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When I purged my books in January, I came across quite a few that were merely "trends," I realized I needed to be more careful about my book buying.<br />
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<a href="https://ftc.co/resource-library/1/4582">Old Books, New Books, and Trends That Fade Away.</a></div>
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Rebecca Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648669478887197766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-52080997086755722142019-06-07T05:00:00.000-04:002019-06-07T11:18:31.091-04:00Five Star Links<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm1IjT46my95L5cI61PMgFBIWjM1w7Y_oYTe-XKPMSfDmk5iWwCn-5rRa5kbp1ElpfA9KfXmETCjJqbGq4TbsvRMuVcw440hc8WKp5bYFerxRenRWu9DFA8WN-Gf0L-CxqviCD0gz6Q4/s1600/rating-153609_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="640" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm1IjT46my95L5cI61PMgFBIWjM1w7Y_oYTe-XKPMSfDmk5iWwCn-5rRa5kbp1ElpfA9KfXmETCjJqbGq4TbsvRMuVcw440hc8WKp5bYFerxRenRWu9DFA8WN-Gf0L-CxqviCD0gz6Q4/s400/rating-153609_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Each Friday, we share links we found especially interesting or inspiring during the previous week. </i></div>
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<b>Kim:</b></div>
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<i><br /></i>
This week's episode of "Mortification of Spin" talks about the danger of success in leadership. One of the comments made was that when someone is up in front of a congregation (or a Sunday school class) and we see people engaged with us, we can become more interested in our own glory than God's. Carl Trueman commented that we should welcome evaluation because it is a humbling thing. As I listened to this, I could not help but think how Twitter can foster a lot of ego, because we can garner many followers who validate us, while at the same time, blocking the criticism.</div>
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<a href="http://www.mortificationofspin.org/mos/podcast/45445">"Hit Man Wanted"</a></div>
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<b>Persis:</b></div>
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I appreciate this post by Lisa Spencer, <a href="http://www.reformation21.org/blog/2019/06/on-platt-and-priorities.php" target="_blank">On Platt and Priorities,</a> about the recent reaction, both pro and con, to Pastor David Platt's prayer for the president of the United States. When it comes to politics and its ability to polarize even Christians, it is possible to forget the priority of Christ and his gospel. Lisa reminds us of that:</div>
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The book of Jonah is instructive here. God told Jonah to bring a message to the Ninevites about turning their hearts towards him. Instead, Jonah did everything he could to avoid such a spectacle and begrudged the fact that God would ask such a thing. Just like Jonah, who qualified who should receive God's grace and mercy, we might be saying the same thing disguised as anti-partisan interests.</blockquote>
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<b>Rebecca:</b></div>
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<i>Stand to Reason</i> has a series of videos with apologetics tips. In the latest one, Alan Shlemon reminds people like me (those who feel guilty for not saying enough when talking with non-believers) to set a modest goal for our conversations. We don't need to get the gospel in every time. "Instead," he says, "aim to <a href="https://www.str.org/blog/set-modest-goal-when-talking-non-christians-video#.XPmTvS0ZPOT">put a stone in their shoe</a>." </div>
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Persishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17686511618515789601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-30622758665588375542019-06-03T05:00:00.000-04:002019-06-03T06:09:27.534-04:00Quotes of Note<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfFaWS_pwRKXsKIZSljsn3fkWQOhk2bdvSssOtLXwuyHYvH6JUveqwlK3w0o8lwUVO1jP0Cb2lSpDnw7E437_q_9yET-lq8sauR0xbgtaT1dSUlWbXzizoofq0elFCQMpUzRyZKt1CFA/s1600/Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="612" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfFaWS_pwRKXsKIZSljsn3fkWQOhk2bdvSssOtLXwuyHYvH6JUveqwlK3w0o8lwUVO1jP0Cb2lSpDnw7E437_q_9yET-lq8sauR0xbgtaT1dSUlWbXzizoofq0elFCQMpUzRyZKt1CFA/s400/Books.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<i style="text-align: start;">Each Monday, we share quotes we found encouraging, convicting, thought-provoking, or all of the above.</i><br />
<div>
<i style="text-align: start;"><br /></i>
<span style="text-align: start;"><b>Persis:</b></span><br />
<i style="text-align: start;"><br /></i>
<span style="text-align: start;">I'm rereading <i>All That's Good</i> by Hannah Anderson with a group of women from church. The whole book is great, but the last chapter sums up the reason for discernment. A reason that is just bigger than my individual Christian life. It's for the healing of the Body of Christ.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">Here's the hard truth: If you are entrusted with a certain gift, most of the people around you won't be similarly gifted. They won't be able to see as clearly because God has not equipped them to. But being gifted with discernment does not give you permission to be spiteful, arrogant, or judgmental toward them. It is your responsibility to help the community by raising uncomfortable questions, and then waiting patiently while it struggles with them. And more than likely, you'll have to wait much longer than you want... you will have to remember that you are part of the Body, you are part of something bigger than yourself. You will have to remember that the clarity you enjoy is not for you alone. It is for the healing of the<i> Body</i> of Christ.</span></blockquote>
<b>Rebecca:</b><br />
<br />
The simplicity of God can be hard to understand. That God is<i> simple</i> means that he is not made up of parts. Or to put is another way, he is not a composite being. Still, we list God's attributes (love, righteousness, and power, for instance), and consider them separately, although we know God is truly one undivided essence.<br />
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In <i>None Greater: The Undomesticated Attributes of God</i>, Matthew Barrett illustrates simplicity this way.<br />
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What I love best about traveling is seeing old churches. Churches that are several hundred years old typically have stained glass. Back then, churches would hire a craftsman to fashion biblical scenes using the colorful glass. Stepping back from the glass, one could see the entire story of the Bible pictured. The beauty of stained glass is seen most when one sunbeam hits the glass and several different colors are portrayed on the inside of the glass—yellow, red, blue, and so on. That imagery pictures simplicity in a way. God is one, and his attributes are identical with one another. Yet when God's undivided essence is revealed to humanity, it shines in various ways. Nevertheless, it is the same, single ray of light that radiates. God's attributes, says the Puritan George Swinnock, "are all one and the same; as when the sunbeams shine through a yellow glass they are yellow, a green glass they are green, a red glass they are red, and yet all the while the beams are the same."</blockquote>
As finite creatures, we can't know God in his infinite simplicity, but we can see him as he "shines through glass," so to speak. From our human viewpoint, we see various perfections, and with each perfection, we can understand another aspect of God's one undivided essence.<br />
<br />
<b>Kim:</b><br />
<br />
From Grant Osborne's <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Matthew-Zondervan-Exegetical-Commentary-Testament/dp/0310243572">commentary</a> on Matthew:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Jesus is never called "Immanuel" (1:23) as a proper name; rather, the term is a metaphor for the fact that in Jesus God is present "with" his people in a whole new way. There are four stages biblically: (1) God is present via his "Shekniah," or dwelling via the pillar of fire and cloud in the exodus and his throne at the midpoint where the wings of the seraphim meet above the ark, i.e., in the Most Holy Place throughout the OT. (2) God is present via his son, who was in a sense a walking Most Holy Place during his life on this earth. (3) God is present via the holy Spirit during the church age. (4) God is present physically and in full reality throughout eternity (Rev. 21:1-22:5).</blockquote>
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Persishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17686511618515789601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-42859356878325800602019-05-31T05:00:00.000-04:002019-05-31T06:01:08.686-04:00Five Star Links<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm1IjT46my95L5cI61PMgFBIWjM1w7Y_oYTe-XKPMSfDmk5iWwCn-5rRa5kbp1ElpfA9KfXmETCjJqbGq4TbsvRMuVcw440hc8WKp5bYFerxRenRWu9DFA8WN-Gf0L-CxqviCD0gz6Q4/s1600/rating-153609_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="640" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm1IjT46my95L5cI61PMgFBIWjM1w7Y_oYTe-XKPMSfDmk5iWwCn-5rRa5kbp1ElpfA9KfXmETCjJqbGq4TbsvRMuVcw440hc8WKp5bYFerxRenRWu9DFA8WN-Gf0L-CxqviCD0gz6Q4/s400/rating-153609_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><br /></i><i>Each Friday, we share links we found especially interesting or inspiring during the previous week. </i></div>
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<b>Persis:</b></div>
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What do we do when the figures we admire in church history have feet of clay? Ignore or gloss over those flaws? But if we believe the gospel saves sinners and that believers struggle with sin until they are glorified, what should our response be knowing that we have been saved as well? This is a thought-provoking post on one of those figures, George Whitefield, by Jared Wilson - <a href="https://ftc.co//resource-library/1/4560" target="_blank">Was George Whitefield a Christian? </a></div>
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<b>Rebecca:</b></div>
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In the video <a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/whole-bible-12-verses/">How Is Brokenness Different from Sin?</a>, Jeremy Treat and Eric Thoennes discuss the relationship between brokenness and sin. I’ll admit I’m not crazy about the word “broken,” but then the people I hear use it seem to think “brokenness” is humanity’s primary problem. (It isn't; <i>sin</i> is.)</div>
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But if “broken” is used along with the word “sin”—and simply used to describe the effects of sin in this world—I might be okay with it.</div>
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<b>Kim:</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is an opportunity to understand how to better help missionaries reaching out to unreached people groups. Seth Callahan shares a couple of<a href="https://blogs.ethnos360.org/seth-callahan/2019/05/24/cows-coffee-churches/" mce_href="https://blogs.ethnos360.org/seth-callahan/2019/05/24/cows-coffee-churches/"> interesting ideas.</a> I have known Seth for a long time, and have served with him in camp ministry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">OK, so here’s the starting point for the conversation: The Evangelical church spends 99.7% of their (our) funds engaging with people in REACHED people groups, that is, people who already have access to God’s Word in their language and have a functioning indigenous church.</span></div>
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Rebecca Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648669478887197766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-84126337051800370632019-05-24T05:00:00.000-04:002019-05-24T05:00:01.367-04:00Five Star Links<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm1IjT46my95L5cI61PMgFBIWjM1w7Y_oYTe-XKPMSfDmk5iWwCn-5rRa5kbp1ElpfA9KfXmETCjJqbGq4TbsvRMuVcw440hc8WKp5bYFerxRenRWu9DFA8WN-Gf0L-CxqviCD0gz6Q4/s1600/rating-153609_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="640" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm1IjT46my95L5cI61PMgFBIWjM1w7Y_oYTe-XKPMSfDmk5iWwCn-5rRa5kbp1ElpfA9KfXmETCjJqbGq4TbsvRMuVcw440hc8WKp5bYFerxRenRWu9DFA8WN-Gf0L-CxqviCD0gz6Q4/s400/rating-153609_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: times;">
<i><br /></i>
<i>Each Friday, we share links we found especially interesting or inspiring during the previous week. </i></div>
<div style="font-family: times;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: times;">
<div style="font-family: times;">
<b>Persis:</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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This is another letter in the Seven Letters Seven Dangers series - <a href="https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/seven-letters-seven-dangers-the-doctrinaire-church" target="_blank">The Doctrinaire Church,</a> a post that hits close to home. How easy it is to love the truth but fail to love the Giver of truth. This shows in how we use the truth.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: times;">
You are right to pursue truth and know the Scriptures. But be on guard against being doctrinaire. Our brother Paul said “watch your life and doctrine closely.” Our temptation is to use our doctrines in ways that is cold, dry, or even forceful, hurtful and graceless.</blockquote>
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This is also another thought-provoking post - <a href="https://mereorthodoxy.com/church-for-the-weak/" target="_blank">On Being the Church for the Weak</a>. When the goal is tp be a "church for winners," does that create real community? Or is it enduring together knowing full well that we are weak and broken?</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: times;">
Even my own life is full of habits of being that pursue prominence and push away vulnerability. The church is a profoundly painful place because we all have ways of hurting each other by our very ways of being...</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: times;">
So why do I choose church membership again and again? The church is the place where the Lordship of Jesus Christ is confessed and enacted week by week. The church is the place where I can climb down the ladder to meet him as he reaches down to the dust to heal the weakest. </blockquote>
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<b>Rebecca:</b></div>
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On <a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/theology-degree-unexpected/">putting a theology degree</a> (or even just some solid knowledge of theology) to work in unexpected places. </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Could a theology degree equip you to produce a blog, newsletter, curriculum, or podcast to serve your local church?</blockquote>
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Could a theology degree allow you to answer the complex questions of younger women? </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
If you’re a woman with a theology degree—or just a solid foundation through your childhood, church, or college ministry—you are needed.</blockquote>
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And one more for good measure: Jared Wilson shows that Job 31:13-15 tells us at least <a href="https://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/what-does-job-31-13-15-tell-us-about-the-unborn/">three things about the unborn</a>.</div>
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Persishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17686511618515789601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-52288970335813773322019-05-20T05:00:00.000-04:002019-05-20T05:00:12.689-04:00Quotes of Note<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<i style="text-align: start;">Each Monday, we share quotes we found encouraging, convicting, thought-provoking, or all of the above.</i><br />
<i style="text-align: start;"><br /></i>
<span style="text-align: start;"><b>Persis:</b></span><br />
<br />
This is a quote from <i>You Are What You Love</i> by James K.A. Smith which may be one of the most eye-opening books I have read this year.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Christian worship, we should recognize, is essentially a <i>counter</i>formation to these rival liturgies we are often immersed in, cultural practices that covertly capture our loves and longings, miscalibrating them, orienting us to rival versions of the good life. This is why worship is the heart of discipleship. We can't counter the power of cultural liturgies with didactic information poured into our intellects. We can't recalibrate the heart from the top down, through merely informational measures. The orientation of the heart happens from the bottom up, through the formation of our habits of desire. Learning to love (God) takes practice. (pg. 25)</blockquote>
<br />
<b>Rebecca:</b><br />
<br />
In <i>None Greater</i>, Matthew Barrett writes that God's aseity—that he "has of himself all that he has"—<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
is wrapped up in . . . <i>his role as Israel's covenant Lord and Savior. </i>When God enters into a covenant relationship with Abraham and later on with Israel, he does so as the God who is independent. His independence entails his possession of (rather than his dependence on) all things. As the God who is sovereign over all things, he can give to Abraham and Israel a great and prosperous land and make them a nation that will bless all nations. </blockquote>
What's more, the gospel depends on God's aseity:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
If God were not life in and of himself, if he were not independent of us, then he would not be . . . able to save us . . . . If God were not <i>a se</i>, then he would be weak and pathetic, for he would be needy and dependent to. He would need saving, just as we do . . . . </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
[I]t is precisely because God is free from creation that he is able to save lost sinners like you and me (Ephesians 1:7-8). If God were a needy God, he would need our help just as much as we need his. What good news it is, then, that the gospel depends on a God who does not depend on us.</blockquote>
Persishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17686511618515789601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-7127618013072445332019-05-17T04:30:00.000-04:002019-05-17T09:15:08.940-04:00Five Star Links<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Each Friday, we share links we found especially interesting or inspiring during the previous week. </i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Persis:</b></div>
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<a href="https://www.placefortruth.org/columns/theology-for-everyone" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Theology for Everyone</a><span style="font-family: "times";"> has started a series, </span><a href="https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/seven-letters-seven-dangers" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank"><i>Seven Letters Seven Dangers</i></a><span style="font-family: "times";">. Each letter is written to the church on a particular area of concern. So far the posts have covered </span><a href="https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/seven-letters-seven-dangers-pride" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank"><i>Pride</i></a><span style="font-family: "times";">, </span><i style="font-family: times;"><a href="https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/seven-letters-seven-dangers-fear-of-man" target="_blank">Fear of Man</a>,</i><span style="font-family: "times";"> and </span><a href="https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/seven-letters-seven-dangers-zeal-complacency" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank"><i>Zeal & Complacency</i>.</a><span style="font-family: "times";"> I appreciate these warnings because I am not immune and need to take heed lest I fall. (</span>1 Cor. 10:11)<br />
<br />
<b>Rebecca:</b><br />
<b><br /></b><a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/moms-wayward-children/">One pastor gives one piece of advice to mothers of wayward adult children</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I believe that behind many of the lives I've seen transformed in my years of young-adult ministry are moms who refused to quit praying even when it felt hopeless . . . —Austin Gohn</blockquote>
He uses Monica, Augustine's mother an example of a mother who prayed fervently for her son's salvation. If you want to know more of Monica's story, <a href="https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/monica-of-tagaste-%E2%80%93-a-persistent-mother">here's a biographical sketch by Simonetta Carr.</a></div>
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Rebecca Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648669478887197766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-73881458537686300922019-05-10T05:00:00.000-04:002019-05-10T05:00:06.298-04:00Five Star Links<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="font-family: times; text-align: left;">
<i>Each Friday, we share links we found especially interesting or inspiring during the previous week. </i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<b>Rebecca:</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times";">Some of the most beautiful (and saddest) lines in the Psalms are found Psalm 137: </span></div>
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By the waters of Babylon,</div>
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there we sat down and wept,</div>
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when we remembered Zion.</div>
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2 On the willows there</div>
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we hung up our lyres.</div>
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3 For there our captors</div>
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required of us songs,</div>
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and our tormentors, mirth, saying,</div>
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“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”</div>
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4 How shall we sing the LORD's song</div>
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in a foreign land?</div>
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<span style="font-family: "times";">Here is a reflection from Stephen Nichols on </span><a href="https://www.ligonier.org/blog/singing-lords-song-foreign-land/" style="font-family: times;">Singing the Lord's Song in a Foreign Land</a><span style="font-family: "times";">:</span></div>
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When Israel first arrived in Babylon, the degree to the which the land was foreign was striking. We know from the book of Daniel, for instance, how idolatry ruled the land. How foreign was that place from Jerusalem and from the Temple and from the land of the Lord their God. The psalmist calls the Babylonians not only his captors, but also his tormentors. The foreign-ness of that place was palpable. It threw the Psalmist off balance. How could he sing?</blockquote>
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<b>Persis:</b></div>
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Simonetta Carr writes about <a href="https://corechristianity.com/resource-library/articles/when-broken-people-show-up-at-your-broken-church?fbclid=IwAR3xZKGhUW-aUEE91fQPR_M9i_T7Rs-q7EGfSa1Fjf4oWD1sjHw_9zIm5HE" target="_blank">When Broken People Show Up At Your Broken Church</a>:</div>
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It’s easy to find articles indicting the church for its failure to welcome and help people with mental illness. A Google search of these keywords brings up dismal results. That’s probably because we are quicker to report bad news than good ones. There are, in fact, loving communities where people with mental illness find love and inclusion...</blockquote>
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Realizing we are all in the same boat and in equal need of a Savior brings down barriers, eliminates stigma, fosters sincere compassion, and encourages open communication. In that sense, Covenant OPC is not unusual. There are many other churches where the gospel is preached every Sunday, constantly changing hearts of stone. They are still imperfect, but so are families, doctors, and hospitals. We all learn as we go, and it’s this willingness to admit we’re broken and to humbly learn to love our broken neighbors that makes a difference.</blockquote>
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Rebecca Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648669478887197766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-65339117688964286502019-05-06T05:30:00.000-04:002019-05-06T06:19:41.860-04:00Quotes of Note<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfFaWS_pwRKXsKIZSljsn3fkWQOhk2bdvSssOtLXwuyHYvH6JUveqwlK3w0o8lwUVO1jP0Cb2lSpDnw7E437_q_9yET-lq8sauR0xbgtaT1dSUlWbXzizoofq0elFCQMpUzRyZKt1CFA/s1600/Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="612" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfFaWS_pwRKXsKIZSljsn3fkWQOhk2bdvSssOtLXwuyHYvH6JUveqwlK3w0o8lwUVO1jP0Cb2lSpDnw7E437_q_9yET-lq8sauR0xbgtaT1dSUlWbXzizoofq0elFCQMpUzRyZKt1CFA/s400/Books.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<i style="text-align: start;"><br /></i>
<i style="text-align: start;">Each Monday, we share quotes we found encouraging, convicting, thought-provoking, or all of the above.</i><br />
<i style="text-align: start;"><br /></i>
<span style="text-align: start;"><b>Persis:</b></span><br />
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This was a convicting quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer on the "Ministry of Listening" in his book, L<i>ife Together</i>:<br />
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The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists of listening to them. Just as love to God begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them. It is God's love for us that He not only gives us His Word but also lends us His ear. So it is His work that we do for our brothers when we learn to listen to him...</blockquote>
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Brotherly pastoral care is essentially distinguished from preaching by the fact that, added to the task of speaking the Word, there is the obligation of listening. There is a kind of listening with half an ear that presumes already to know what the other person has to say. It is an impatient, inattentive listening, that despises the brother and is only waiting for a chance to speak and thus get rid of the other person. This is no fulfillment of our obligation, and it is certain that here too our attitude toward our brother only reflects our relationship to God. </blockquote>
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<b>Kim: </b><br />
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I am really enjoying Ed Hirsch, Jr.'s <i>Validity in Interpretation</i>. It's not a Christian book, but it is about hermeneutics in general. It really gets to the heart of what meaning and interpretation are. And that can only be helpful when applied to Biblical texts.<br />
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Hirsch reminds us that interpretation is an art:<br />
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A translation or paraphrase tries to render the meaning in new terms; an explanation tries to point to the meaning in new terms. That is why interpretation, like translation, is an art, for the interpreter has to find means of conveying to the uninitiated, in terms familiar to them, those presuppositions and meanings which are equivalent to those in the original meaning. </blockquote>
Even as I think about this in the context of teaching (which relies on paraphrase), I realize that finding ways which draw on the student's presuppositions and pre-understandings is something very challenging.<br />
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<br />Persishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17686511618515789601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-47695083708303715732019-05-03T05:30:00.000-04:002019-05-08T21:41:49.580-04:00Five Star Links<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm1IjT46my95L5cI61PMgFBIWjM1w7Y_oYTe-XKPMSfDmk5iWwCn-5rRa5kbp1ElpfA9KfXmETCjJqbGq4TbsvRMuVcw440hc8WKp5bYFerxRenRWu9DFA8WN-Gf0L-CxqviCD0gz6Q4/s1600/rating-153609_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="640" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNm1IjT46my95L5cI61PMgFBIWjM1w7Y_oYTe-XKPMSfDmk5iWwCn-5rRa5kbp1ElpfA9KfXmETCjJqbGq4TbsvRMuVcw440hc8WKp5bYFerxRenRWu9DFA8WN-Gf0L-CxqviCD0gz6Q4/s400/rating-153609_640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Each Friday, we share links we found especially interesting or inspiring during the previous week. </i></div>
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<b>Persis:</b></div>
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I loved this article by Karen Kessens and the parallel she drew between our favorite book genres and the people we normally gravitate to in the local church - <a href="https://gcdiscipleship.com/article-feed/2019/4/24/how-well-are-you-reading-your-church" target="_blank">How Well Are You Reading Your Church?</a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Next time you walk into the human library that is your local church, take notice. We are surrounded by “a great cloud of witnesses” (<a href="https://bible.faithlife.com/bible/csb/Heb.%2012.1">Heb. 12:1</a>) of saints who have gone before us but all around us are living stories of what God has done and continues doing as he is building his church.<br />
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Don’t miss out on the vastness of his redeeming work by only reading in one or two genres, but look outside your normal spheres of interaction to broaden your engagement with the community of believers he has specially chosen to put you among that day.<br />
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Read broadly and don’t neglect the great shelf of witnesses placed on the pew next to you.</blockquote>
<b>Kim:</b><br />
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I found very helpful this article by Steve Matthewson, <a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/how-can-i-regain-the-use-greek-hebrew-my-preaching/">"How Can I Regain the Use of Hebrew and Greek?" </a>. I completed my Greek studies this year and I begin Hebrew in September. I have to say that learning Koine Greek has been one of the most satisfying and helpful things I've done.<br />
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There are ways to study the biblical languages without going to seminary. <a href="https://www.billmounce.com/">Bill Mounce</a> has resources to learn online. Think of it this way: if you have time to spend an hour or two a day on a hobby or activity, consider investing that time in learning Greek. It's worth the effort.<br />
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<b>Rebecca:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
No one wants to have to make end of life medical decisions for a loved one who is unable to direct their own medical care, but if (when) you find yourself in this difficult position, <a href="https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-doctor-may-ask-you">this piece by Kathryn Butler</a> lays out a few bibilical principles to ground your decision making and suggests some questions to help you sort through the issues.<br />
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Persishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17686511618515789601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-50236660668006415332019-04-29T05:30:00.000-04:002019-04-29T06:10:22.593-04:00Quotes of Note<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfFaWS_pwRKXsKIZSljsn3fkWQOhk2bdvSssOtLXwuyHYvH6JUveqwlK3w0o8lwUVO1jP0Cb2lSpDnw7E437_q_9yET-lq8sauR0xbgtaT1dSUlWbXzizoofq0elFCQMpUzRyZKt1CFA/s1600/Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="612" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfFaWS_pwRKXsKIZSljsn3fkWQOhk2bdvSssOtLXwuyHYvH6JUveqwlK3w0o8lwUVO1jP0Cb2lSpDnw7E437_q_9yET-lq8sauR0xbgtaT1dSUlWbXzizoofq0elFCQMpUzRyZKt1CFA/s400/Books.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<i style="text-align: start;">Each Monday, we share quotes we found encouraging, convicting, thought-provoking, or all of the above.</i><br />
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<span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: start;"><b>Persis:</b></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">This is a quote on love for our neighbor in <i>Body Broken</i> by Charles Drew:</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">Zeal for the coming Christ and love for people go together. Our practice of public goodness aims not to put people down but to win people to him before it is too late. What our culture needs these days is a vibrant, plausible, winsome Christianity. Intellectual and philosophical arguments are important and good, but they cannot stand alone. They must come from lives of people who have evidently been changed for the better by the God they profess. Do we love people enough, we must ask, to showcase - by how we talk, how we do business, how we do politics, how we treat people, and how we as Christians get along with each other - something of the goodness, justice, loyalty, beauty, and love of our true home?</span></blockquote>
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<b>Rebecca:</b><br />
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If <i>we know</i> anything about God, it is because he has chosen to make it known; revelation is a gift. In that light, our task cannot be speculation. Our response to his revelation concerning himself is not to demand knowledge of that which he has chosen to conceal. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Instead, Christian humility requires us to receive with gratitude what he has spoken and to limit ourselves to what he has said and done, rather than pine after what he has not said and those works he has left unperformed.</blockquote>
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[Matthew Barrett in <i>None Greater: The Undomesticated Attributes of God</i>]</div>
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<b>Kim:</b><br />
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From Herman Bavinck's <i>Reformed Dogmatics: God and Creation</i>. Bavinck has spent time discussing the arguments for the existence of God:<br />
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Faith attempts to give an account of the religious impressions and feelings that we humans receive and carry with us in our soul. That faith also exerts its influence on the intellect, which in turn seeks little by little to introduce some order in that chaos of impressions and notions. It classifies them and reduces them to a few categories. Impressions come to us from the world of ideas (the ontological argument); from the world of finite contingent, and mutable things (the cosmological arguments); from the world of beauty and harmonious design (the teleological argument); from that of moral order (the moral argument); from the speech of history of all humankind (the universal consent and the historical argument). However, although these impressions may be so classified, no one should ever think that these six proofs are the sole, isolated testimonies God sends us. On the contrary; to the believer all things speak of god; the whole universe is the mirror of his perfections. There is not an atom of the universe in which his everlasting power and deity are not clearly seen.</blockquote>
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Persishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17686511618515789601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-59555673701270797602019-04-26T05:00:00.000-04:002019-04-26T05:00:00.277-04:00Five Star Links<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Each Friday, we share links we found especially interesting or inspiring during the previous week. </i></div>
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<b>Rebecca:</b></div>
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<a href="https://www.5minutesinchurchhistory.com/">5 Minutes in Church History</a> is one of my favorite podcasts. Here's an interesting episode about <a href="https://www.5minutesinchurchhistory.com/perpetua-and-felicitas/">Perpetua and Felicitas</a>, two early Christian women who were martyred for their faith.</div>
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<b>Kim: </b></div>
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Karl Vaters discusses <a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/karl-vaters/2019/april/performance-music-worship-music.html?paging=off">"6 Important Differences Between Performance Music and Worship Music"</a> It contains good points but also generates more questions. My first question is how does the us of "worship teams" with multiple people on a platform as the centre of attention make the risk of performance greater than a more minimalist approach.</div>
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<b>Persis:</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times";">I appreciate Pastor Sam Powell's posts. This is from Good Friday of last week but worth contemplating any day - </span><a href="https://myonlycomfort.com/2019/04/19/ye-who-think-of-sin-but-lightly/" style="font-family: times;" target="_blank">Ye Who Think of Sin But Lightly...</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
How bad is our sin? Our sin is so bad that the only solution was the death of the Son of God. He who is perfect innocence, infinite love, immaculate beauty, pure and undefiled goodness….the one who cried out with tears in Gethsemane “If you are willing, take this cup away from me”. But the cup would not be taken away, because it is the only way that sinners can stand before God. His compassion and obedience were perfect, for he is true and righteous man. And his power is infinite, for he is true God. “Not my will, but thine be done.”</blockquote>
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Rebecca Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648669478887197766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-57070140773266173452019-04-22T05:00:00.000-04:002019-04-22T09:36:14.282-04:00Quotes of Note<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i style="text-align: start;">Each Monday, we share quotes we found encouraging, convicting, thought-provoking, or all of the above.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Kim:</b><br />
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My Greek professor, Wayne Baxter, has written a book <i><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Weve-Lost-What-Now-Practical/dp/162564776X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=">We've Lost. What Now? Practical Counsel from the Book of Daniel</a></i>. It deals with the issue of coping as Christians in culture when we have become marginalized:<br />
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God knew that the Western church would eventually lose its footing in society and be shoved into the periphery. And yet, God is still there for us. In the midst of the mockery and the animosity that we so often attract, we can still humbly turn to God with confidence, knowing that he has not excused himself from the scene. Though sometimes feeling abandoned, he has not left us as orphans (Isa. 49:15). Therefore, although we live in exile we should never live with a sense of despair over our circumstances, simply biding time until Jesus "calls it" and finally returns for his church. For not only can we count on God's abiding presence, he has also given us unique gifts to equip us in our exile in order to enable us to speak prophetically, through word and deed, to a watching world so that we can witness more effectively to our community.</blockquote>
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<b>Persis:</b><br />
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We just finished a Sunday school class on John Owen's <i>Mortification of Sin</i>. Here is an encouraging quote on who supplies the wherewithall to mortify sin.<br />
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Christ is the fountain from which the new man must draw the influence of life and strength, or he will decay every day. If we are 'strengthened with power ... in [our] inner being', it is by Christ's 'dwelling in [our] hearts through faith' (Eph. 3:16-17).</blockquote>
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That this is not to be done without the Holy Spirit we have already considered. You might ask: 'Whence, then, do we expect the Spirit? From whom do we look for Him? Who has promised Him to us? Who has secured His aid for us?' Is not the answer to all these questions, <i>Christ alone</i>?</blockquote>
Persishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17686511618515789601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873453867984233607.post-78367446865532681052019-04-19T05:00:00.000-04:002019-04-24T19:32:13.322-04:00Five Star Links<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Each Friday, we share links we found especially interesting or inspiring during the previous week. </i></div>
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<b>Rebecca:</b></div>
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Natasha Crain models one excellent way to help older kids (middle school aged and up) think through some of the so-called wisdom they hear: <a href="https://www.str.org/blog/choose-being-kind-over-being-right#.XLYiuy0ZPOR">Choose Kind Over Being Right?</a></div>
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This morning I attended weekly chapel with my kids at their school. At the end, one of the kids from student government shared an “inspirational quote” . . . </blockquote>
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I was happy that both of my 10-year-olds immediately looked up at me with a questioning glance. This is the kind of secular wisdom that sounds good but has layers of problems. Like other quotes of this nature, there is some truth, but it’s also very misleading.</blockquote>
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<b>Persis:</b></div>
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Amy Mantravadi continues her articles on the doctrine of God - <a href="http://www.reformation21.org/blog/2019/04/how-can-we-know-god.php" target="_blank">How Can We Know God?</a> </div>
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Christianity is a religion of revelation, and our God is a God who reveals himself. Perhaps you, like me, experience dark days when you feel that God is distant or even absent from your life, but it is a great comfort to know that God has not left us as ignorant orphans. He has condescended and spoken, authoritatively and finally, into our lives. Human history is the story of the revelation of God.</blockquote>
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<b>Kim:</b></div>
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Matthew Boffey shares <a href="https://blog.logos.com/2018/03/right-way-use-commentary/">"Three Rules for Using Commentaries."</a> I am thankful that he points out that we need to think ahead before choosing one. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When you know the kind of question you have, you know the kind of commentary to reach for. If it’s a textual question, a critical commentary is best suited to help you. If it’s interpretive, reach for a critical or expository commentary. And if it’s about theology or application, scan a theological or application commentary. Conveniently, the type is usually in the name.</span></span> </blockquote>
A very helpful site that I have benefitted from is <a href="https://www.bestcommentaries.com/">Best Commentaries</a>. It has the added help of indicating whether the commentary is technical, pastoral, or devotional.<br />
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Rebecca Starkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648669478887197766noreply@blogger.com0