Berean Wife Blog

Warming at the Enemy’s Fire – Abraham

2009-11-15T05:00:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I posted about Lot enjoying the pleasures and safety of living in the city while being grieved at heart by the sin and soon falling into sin himself. Today let’s look at Abraham.

We find that Abraham enjoyed the benefits of the enemy at least twice by going down to Egypt during a famine and once going to Gerar. But in the process of enjoying the food for his family and household even Abraham fell into sin by lying about his relationship to his wife.

Genesis 12:10-13
10 Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.
11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, "I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance,
12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me, but they will let you live.
13 Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake." ESV

Genesis 20:1-2
1 From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar.
2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. ESV

Not only did Abraham lie about his relationship to Sarah in both cases, he also placed his wife at risk since she was placed in the Pharaoh’s or the King’s harem.

While the Lord still protected Sarah despite her husband’s sin, could not the same Lord have just as easily kept Abraham from being killed as he feared?

Or could not the Lord have fed Abraham?

I mean really, the promises God had given Abraham had not yet been fulfilled so surely the Lord would do what He said.

We see the reason Abraham gave for lying was because he knew he was in the midst of the enemy.

Genesis 20:11 Abraham said, "I did it because I thought, There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. ESV

Abraham knew he was “warming with the enemy” just as Peter did (Luke 22:54-62). The enemy didn’t sneek up on them, but both Abraham and Peter, just as Lot, went to the enemy to enjoy the "warmth" (benefits). Yet all three soon found themselves in sin.

Warming at The Enemy’s Fire – Lot

2009-11-14T05:00:00.001-06:00

When contemplating how we might today be Warming At The Enemy's Fire, I was having trouble thinking this out very well. (May have something to do with spending the past couple of days listening to orchestra rehearsals all day.)

At first the only thought I had was Lottery Funding. Some states use the income from lotteries to fund scholarships for qualified students. Is this not “warming ourselves at the enemy’s fire”? Especially when we consider those who buy lottery tickets are often those who can least afford it.

But this doesn’t affect me. I don’t buy lottery tickets nor do I use lottery funds to send my children to college. But surely I cannot just say well I’m not guilty of ever “warming at the enemy’s fire”?

So I decided to see who else in Scripture was guilty. It wasn’t hard at all to find several examples.

Lot

Lot choose the well watered plains with the cities of Sodom and Gommorrah when he separated from Abraham.

Genesis 13:5-13
5 And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents,
6 so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together,
7 and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.
8 Then Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen.
9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left."
10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.
12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom.
13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord. ESV

See that in verse 12 Lot was just pitching his tent near Sodom, yet by Genesis 19:1 Lot is living in the city and sitting in the gate.

Genesis 19:1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. ESV

Lot was “warming himself” by enjoying the protection and benefits of the city despite being grieved by the sin of the city. We of course know of the troubles Lot was soon to find himself in.

2 Peter 2:7-8
7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked
8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); ESV

Notice who tells us of Lot being grieved by the sin of the city.

None other than Peter!

You think Peter understood being in the wrong place, warming himself with the enemy, and falling into sin?

Dust If You Must

2009-11-13T07:00:00.001-06:00

Luke 10:38-42

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching.
40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me."
41 But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,
42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." ESV

For the Marthas:

Dust If You Must

Dust if you must, but wouldn’t it be better
To paint a picture, or write a letter,
Bake a cake, or plant a seed;
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there’s not much time,
With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;
Music to hear, and books to read;
Friends to cherish, and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world’s out there
With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair;
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it’s not kind.
And when you go (and go you must)
You, yourself, will make more dust.

-Rose Milligan

If you still need to dust, my house could use it.

Warming At The Enemy's Fire?

2009-11-12T08:00:00.005-06:00

Last night while reading a passage of Scripture in our Bible study class my attention was drawn to the following verse:

Luke 22:55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. ESV

This verse just really caught my attention. It is from a very familiar passage in Luke about Peter's denial.

Luke 22:54-62
54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house, and Peter was following at a distance.
55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them.
56 Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, "This man also was with him."
57 But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know him."
58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not."
59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, "Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean."
60 But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about." And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times."
62 And he went out and wept bitterly. ESV

Peter did the following:

Followed at a distance. (There will be problems when you distance yourself from Christ.)

Warmed at the enemy's fire.

Denied Christ three times.

Wept bitterly.

You could spend days discussing each of these things that Peter did and how one led to another.

But my specific attention was drawn to the warming at the enemy's fire.

What does that look like to us today?

How do we as New Testament believers warm ourselves at the enemy's fire and cause us to fall into sin?

Youth Groups - Losing Your Inhibitions Is a Good Thing !?!

2009-11-11T08:00:00.003-06:00

If you've noticed in the post about Christian Schools several references were made to them being like large youth groups. I know that there are a few good Christians trying to teach youth who are basing their teaching on Scripture. But they are few and far between. The majority of youth groups across this country are more interested in the pizza parties, games and wild ideas than they are studying the Scriptures.

A couple of weeks ago a particular youth group's activities were brought to my attention entitled Peanut Butter Salvation: Why a Southside MegaChurch Thinks That Goldfish Swallowing and Toe-Licking Will Lead the Next Generation to God. Honestly, I have read alot of stuff involving our youth especially some sickening things concerning the music directed at the youth when I was preparing the CCM pdf. But I was so disgusted and saddened by this particular article that I couldn't finish reading it at first.

Why such a reaction? Because I have two teens and a preteen that could very well be involved in these same activities if we had not decided years ago to eliminate youth group activities from our church experience. Although some of my children are strong enough that they would not do something that they felt uncomfortable with, I do know that some would follow the crowd especially if directed to do so by a trusted leader.

The Pilgrim at Defending. Contending. took the information I shared with him and was able to write a very good explanation of some of the issues involved in the typical youth ministry and their activities to get a crowd. While it is not a pretty subject it is very necessary for anyone with youth, or even younger children, to become aware of what is being done in youth groups today. Even if the activities are different the ideas and worldly view behind much of the activities are the same.

A general idea behind these activities is to encourage our children to:

Lose your inhibitions. Young people usually have inhibitions against doing anything too embarrassing or shameful. These exercises are designed to free people from such hang-ups. For some reason, post-Freudian psychologists whose “sensitivity groups” are the model for these kinds of exercises maintain that such inhibitions are bad. Christians, though, have always insisted that we need to feel inhibited about indulging in things for which we should feel ashamed. This is part of what we mean by developing a conscience. ~ Gene Edward Veith

They are actually encouraging the youth to give into to peer pressure! What many parents are fighting tooth and nail to keep our children from doing. The youth group is encouraging all under the assumed respectability of the "Church".

Peanut butter salvation and other stupid church tricks.

... just silly men who have never grown up, getting paid to play silly games with kids who will eventually be inoculated against true Biblical Christianity.]

...

[So let me get this straight. Standing up for Jesus requires boldness and fearlessness, but instead of instilling that in the youth by having them actually stand up for Jesus, or even showing them by example, instead you have them perform sick, twisted, and erotic games and this will somehow help them stand up for Jesus? And if they need to perform these juvenile games to stand up for Jesus then does that not mean that you're suggesting to them that their source of strength comes not from God but from them and their willingness to act like fools? Here's a novel idea: Try having them become "fearless" by actually proclaiming Jesus Christ, and start with you by boldly preaching Jesus Christ. Then encourage the one's that are really sincere to take missions trips to countries where standing up for Jesus will get you imprisoned, tortured and/or killed. Somehow I don't think the countless martyrs throughout church history and today needed to lick peanut butter off someone's toes in order to stand up for Jesus.]

Please pass this along to any who feel having their children in a popular youth program in a church will be beneficial to their salvation or spiritual growth. One parent can't change the direction of the average youth group but several parents standing together just might.

I would also encourage anyone to pull their children from any youth group of this type. You just might be surprised at how your teen grows when actually in a serious, Biblical Bible study.

Time Wasters

2009-11-10T08:00:00.001-06:00

Richard Baxter (1615-1691) Time-Wasters

Thief I: One of the greatest time-wasting sins consists of idleness or sloth.

Thief II: The next thief or time-waster is excess of sleep.

Thief III: The next thief or time-waster is an inordinate adorning of the body.

Thief IV: Another time-wasting thief is unnecessary pomp and curiosity in retinue, attendance, house furniture, provision and entertainments, together with excess of compliment and ceremony, and servitude to the humors and expectations of time-wasters.

Thief V: Another time-wasting sin is needless and tedious feastings, gluttony, and tippling. (Tippling - drinking)

Thief VI:Another time-waster is idle talk.

Thief VII: Another thief which by the aforesaid means would steal your time, is vain and sinful company.

Thief VIII: Another notorious time-wasting thief, is needless, inordinate sports and games, which are stigmatized by the offenders themselves, with the infamous name of pastimes, and masked with deceitful title of recreations;

Thief IX:Another time-wasting thief is excess of worldly cares and business.

Thief X: Another time-waster is vain ungoverned and sinful thoughts.

Thief XI: Another dangerous time-waster sin is the reading of vain books , play-books, romances, and feigned histories; and also unprofitable studies, undertaken but for vain-glory, or the pleasing of a carnal or curious mind.

Thief XII: But the master-thief that robs men of their time is an unsancitified , ungodly heart; for this loseth time whatever men are doing; because they never intend the glory of God;

I Work So My Children Can Go to a Christian School

2009-11-09T10:06:00.006-06:00

This is a very common reason women choose to work.

They are convicted that the Lord would not have His children educated by the government (Caesar) so they work to afford private Christian schooling for their children. From the outward appearance, this might not seem like such a big deal, especially if the mom is free when the children are out of school.

There are several considerations that must be given to this decision.

1) First all Christian schools are not the same. There are some that are no different from any other private school. Often a Christian School may even use the typical curriculum and just add in a Bible Class. The really good Christian schools tend to very expensive and/or small and hard to get into. Often they are both! One of the best Christian schools in Birmingham had such a long waiting list that once your baby was born you needed to call about being put on the list. See good schools limit the teacher / student ratio so as to insure a better quality education.

There are other Christian schools that really work like a group homeschool. The students use a homeschool like curriculum and teachers are just available to help if needed but not actually teaching. That is a lot of money to pay for something you can do better yourself.

2) One matter that using a Christian school does not solve is peer pressure and the influence of peers. See just because the school itself might be very high quality that does not mean that the home life of the children is any different. As we found, even children from church, regular church member’s children can share much more information than we would desire with our children. I remember a 5 year old several years ago that was about to explain ‘French kissing’ to some classmates at church. I nipped that in the bud real quick, and shortly thereafter eliminated much of our children’s group activities unless a parent could be right with them.

Christian school teens aren’t necessarily any different than the teens in an average Christian youth group at church. If you don’t realize the issues with many Christian youth groups just volunteer to help teach and supervise the kids for a year. I think then you will be made aware of the problems with grouping large numbers of youth together.

Christian Schools vs. Homeschooling

“… I found that most (not all of course) of the students in the Christian schools I attended did not have a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. Many had simply learned the art of looking churchy and saying the right things in front of the teachers.

The school I attended in sixth grade only went to eighth grade. Even at that age the students were involved in drug and alcohol use, pornography, satanic heavy metal music, lying, watching R-rated movies, and sexual activity.

Their parents, of course, would have defended them to the death, insisting that they were “good” kids. I don’t mean to imply that this behavior never happens in a homeschool family, but I do believe that homeschooling parents are more likely to know what their children are doing and could at the least keep their children from directly having these kinds of hoodlums as companions and role models….” Continue

3) Another issue is that for some reason students educated in Christian schools often end up with a much lower Biblical worldview than students educated at home. Although Christian school students do end up with a more Biblical worldview than public school children, they fall quite a bit behind those who were homeschooled.

Data from the Nehemiah Institute.

A Different David and Goliath Lesson

2009-11-08T06:00:00.001-06:00

Lessons to Learn from David and Goliath

Today we’re going to look at the familiar story of David and Goliath. But since we’ve all probably heard that story many times, we’re going to look at it from a different point of view. We’ll look at the story as a foreshadowing of our Lord Jesus Christ, particularly the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. In the elements of the story of David and Goliath, we can learn many valuable truths about Jesus and his work of salvation for us. Continue

Tirocinium by William Cowper

2009-11-07T05:00:00.002-06:00

I stayed up way too late last night reading this poem. I was working on a post about homeschooling verses Christian schooling and in my research found this treasure of a poem. This poem was written to a gentleman to convince him to not send his boys to school in 1784! Other than the older English style, this sounds like it could have been written today about our schools.

(I know it is long but actually this is just a portion of the full poem, which can be found here.)

“Tirocinium”

Would you your son should be a sot or dunce,
Lascivious, headstrong, or all these at once;
That in good time the stripling's finish'd taste
For loose expense and fashionable waste
Should prove your ruin, and his own at last;
Train him in public with a mob of boys,
Childish in mischief only and in noise,
Else of a mannish growth, and five in ten
In infidelity and lewdness men.

...

Ye nurseries of our boys, we owe to you:
Though from ourselves the mischief more proceeds,
For public schools 'tis public folly feeds.
The slaves of custom and establish'd mode,
With packhorse constancy we keep the road,
Crooked or straight, through quags or thorny dells,
True to the jingling of our leader's bells.
To follow foolish precedents, and wink
With both our eyes, is easier than to think;
And such an age as ours balks no expense,
Except of caution and of common sense;
Else sure notorious fact, and proof so plain,
Would turn our steps into a wiser train.

...

There shall he learn, ere sixteen winters old,
That authors are most useful, pawned or sold,
That pedantry is all that schools impart,
But taverns teach the knowledge of the heart.

...

No nourishment to feed his growing mind,
But conjugated verbs and nouns declined?
For such is all the mental food purvey'd
By public hackneys in the schooling trade;
Who feed a pupil's intellect with store
Of syntax truly, but with little more;
Dismiss their cares when they dismiss their flock,
Machines themselves, and govern'd by a clock.
Perhaps a father, blest with any brains,
Would deem it no abuse, or waste of pains,
To improve this diet, at no great expense,

...

To show him in an insect or a flower
Such microscopic proof of skill and power
As, hid from ages past, God now displays
To combat atheists with in modern days;
To spread the earth before him, and commend,
With designation of the finger's end,
Its various parts to his attentive note,
Thus bringing home to him the most remote;
To teach his heart to glow with generous flame,
Caught from the deeds of men of ancient fame;
And, more than all, with commendation due,
To set some living worthy in his view,
Whose fair example may at once inspire
A wish to copy what he must admire.

...

The ostrich, silliest of the feather'd kind,
And form'd of God without a parent's mind,
Commits her eggs, incautious, to the dust,
Forgetful that the foot may crush the trust;
And, while on public nurseries they rely,
Not knowing, and too oft not caring, why,
Irrational in what they thus prefer,
No few, that would seem wise, resemble her.
But all are not alike. Thy warning voice
May here and there prevent erroneous choice;
And some perhaps, who, busy as they are,
Yet make their progeny their dearest care

...

Now look on him, whose very voice in tone
Just echoes thine, whose features are thine own,
And stroke his polish'd cheek of purest red,
And lay thine hand upon his flaxen head,
And say, My boy, the unwelcome hour is come,
When thou, transplanted from thy genial home,
Must find a colder soil and bleaker air,
And trust for safety to a stranger's care;
What character, what turn thou wilt assume
From constant converse with I know not whom;
Who there will court thy friendship, with what views,
And, artless as thou art, whom thou wilt choose;
Though much depends on what thy choice shall be,
Is all chance-medley, and unknown to me.
Canst thou, the tear just trembling on thy lids,
And while the dreadful risk foreseen forbids;
Free too, and under no constraining force,
Unless the sway of custom warp thy course;
Lay such a stake upon the losing side,
Merely to gratify so blind a guide?
Thou canst not Nature, pulling at thine heart,
Condemns the unfatherly, the imprudent part.

...

Though wouldst not, deaf to Nature's tenderest plea,
Turn him adrift upon a rolling sea,
Nor say, Go thither, conscious that there lay
A brood of asps, or quicksands in his way;
Then, only govern'd by the self-same rule
Of natural pity, send him not to school.
No—guard him better. Is he not thine own,
Thyself in miniature, thy flesh, thy bone?
And hopest thou not ('tis every father's hope)
That, since thy strength must with thy years elope,
And thou wilt need some comfort to assuage
Health's last farewell, a staff of thine old age,
That then, in recompence of all thy cares,
Thy child shall show respect to thy grey hairs,

...

Survey our schools and colleges, and see
A sight not much unlike my simile.
From education, as the leading cause,
The public character its colour draws;
Thence the prevailing manners take their cast,
Extravagant or sober, loose or chaste.

...

~ William Cowper ~

Just A Mom

2009-11-06T08:30:00.002-06:00

George Washington, said this of his mother "All that I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual, and physical education I received from her."

Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. ESV

I would imagine that George Washington's mother did not leave him to himself.

Reading Difficult Books

2009-11-05T08:20:00.001-06:00

What are you reading lately?

Are you reading through the average devotional book? The kind you can buy at the average Christian books store with a half a page a day and a verse.

Have you tried the harder and more deep books and given up in failure to understand?

Reading Difficult Books: A Personal Reminiscence by Rev. Steven Dilday

Shortly after my conversion to Christ, I became a regular listener to the radio broadcast of Dr. R.C. Sproul. Through Dr. Sproul I was exposed to Reformed theology for the first time, and, from the first, I was captivated. I was quite interested, of course, when he mentioned that he thought that Jonathan Edwards’ Freedom of the Will was the most important, most theologically formative, book that he had ever read. I ordered it immediately from Soli Deo Gloria and waited anxiously for its arrival. When the book arrived, I could not get the wrapping off fast enough. I started into it immediately, but was more than a little surprised by what I found. I discovered that I was not able to read it. Well, I was able to read and pronounce all the words, but I had never before seen a single sentence continue for a page and a half. By the time I reached the end of a sentence, I could not remember how it started. Moreover, he spent the first quarter of the book simply discussing the definition of the terms that he would be using (not the most exciting reading), definitions which were formulated through a sophisticated interaction with Puritan theology and early eighteenth century European philosophy (of which I knew nothing). Difficulties crowded in on every side, but my determination was roused. I had Dr. Sproul’s testimony that the reading of this volume would be profitable, so I prepared myself for the labor. It was hard work; sometimes I would spend a whole afternoon just trying to understand a single page. If memory serves, it took me the better part of a year to work through the whole. And what profit had I for my effort? Much in every way. First, I really learned to read; I have not since had that difficulty in reading. Second, I developed a love for the literature of the Puritans which has consumed most of my waking hours since that time. Third, the book did more to shape my general theological method than anything else that I have read. Fourth, I never forgot the contents of the book, Edwards’ striking harmonization of divine sovereignty and human freedom. In the final evaluation, the hours spent in the reading of that difficult book were among the most well-spent of my entire life. ... Continue

Try plowing through a theologically rich book and see what it will do for your studies.

If you have never read it start with Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. It will give you practice with the older English and even your children will enjoy it. After a reading through go back though the book and really read for the depth of theology.

Following The Culture

2009-11-04T05:00:00.002-06:00

"The church is not touching the culture
because the culture has invaded the church."
~ Ken Ham ~

As an addition to Ken Ham's quote from his sermon Reaching A Lost World - Ken Ham, a quote from MacArthur.

"Evangelicals who are desperate to follow the culture

invariably lag several years behind anyway,

somehow managing to look awkward and clumsy

by always failing to keep in step,

no matter how hard they try.

But, then, the church is not supposed to ape the world’s fads

or court the world’s favor anyway."

~ John MacArthur in The Truth War, page 48~

How Are You Advising Others?

2009-11-03T08:24:00.004-06:00

Most of us do not serve as official counselors nor do we typically sit down with someone on a regular basis to counsel them. Neither did the servants in the example below. However, in a general sense we all counsel others daily whether it is a spouse, our children or just our friends in conversation. Do you consider well your counsel before giving it?

An interesting story in the book of 1 Samuel is the story of Saul being tormented by the evil spirit.

1 Samuel 16:14-23
14 Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.
15 And Saul's servants said to him, "Behold now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.
16 Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well."
17 So Saul said to his servants, "Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me."
18 One of the young men answered, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him."
19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me David your son, who is with the sheep."
20 And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul.
21 And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, "Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight."
23 And whenever the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. ESV

When Saul was being tormented what did his servants counsel him to do?

1 Samuel 16:15-16
15 And Saul's servants said to him, "Behold now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.
16 Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well."

Listen to soothing music. (While the soothing music issue is a very interesting issue, it is for a later discussion.) But what did they not advise Saul to do?

Pray
Seek God
Read the Scriptures

Was Saul ultimately helped by listening to David’s music?

No.

He was only helped temporarily. There was no lasting effect. Listening to soothing and even God centered music did not calm the torment in Saul’s soul. We can see that as we read further into the book of 1 Samuel. Saul was tormented such that he tried to kill David on several occasions and Saul suffered under paranoia and delusional attacks thinking David was trying to kill him.
The music only was a temporary balm, or band-aid, to his troubled soul. The true relief that Saul could have found in turning to God and his Word was not offered to him by his counselors.

It is a lot easier if we just stick band-aids on another’s soul than when we actually deal with the real issue, separation from God. How can we not direct another to the true source of healing from the torments they face?

I’m sure the servants that counseled Saul were concerned for themselves and they sought immediate relieve for Saul if only to make their own life easier. It would have been much harder to point out to Saul that his disobedience had turned God away from him.

1 Samuel 28:16-18
16 And Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy?
17 The Lord has done to you as he spoke by me, for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David.
18 Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. ESV

Is it easier for us to seek the immediate relief when counseling another than to deal with the real issues and direct another back to the Lord?

You bet it is.

But temporary fixes do not work.

Despite the fact that Saul was soothed by David’s music, he was also more and more tormented as time went on. Throwing spears in the castle are not signs of a soothed soul. I’m sure that the servants suffered even more during Saul’s mental breakdown.

Oh that we would always encourage another to seek the Lord.

Isaiah 55:6-7
6 "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. ESV

Invasion

2009-11-03T05:00:00.000-06:00

We have suffered an invasion this weekend.

We have been invaded by “Ladybugs.” We used to think that ladybugs were so cute and adorable. Both my daughters have had several different types of ladybug clothing. But several years ago we changed our tune with ladybugs. Now in the Fall we are invaded by Ladybugs regularly. One day we might see one or two and we will start to complain. Why? Because we have learned that within a day or two we will be invaded by thousands. They come in every door and window, even if closed. There is no keeping them out. They will be banging into every light fixture making constant noise with their hard bodies hitting the light. Our sliding glass doors will be covered inside and out. Not only do the ladybugs get all over the house, they will just fall into everything. Cooking and eating become a hassle. You learn to check your drink before drinking it.

We spent all day yesterday cleaning up. I cleaned the windowsills of ladybugs in the morning and by lunchtime they were all over the sills again. My daughter vacuumed the live ladybugs from the sliding glass doors. The clear vacuum canister was full of ladybugs but by the evening, they were replaced by more. When looking outside you could clearly see the swarms of ladybugs flying all over the place. If you ventured outside you would be dive-bombed by kamikaze ladybugs flying into you. The ladybugs also come with a surprising bonus – THEY STINK !!! For some bizarre reason they emit a horrible odor if you kill them or even if they fill threatened. My daughter said her school work actually referred to them as the skunk of the insect world.

I think I have an idea of what the Egyptians felt like in Exodus.

Exodus 8:16-24

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.'"
17 And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt.
18 The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast.
19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
20 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord, "Let my people go, that they may serve me.
21 Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand.
22 But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.
23 Thus I will put a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen."'"
24 And the Lord did so. There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants' houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies. ESV

But then again maybe not.

Gnats and flies bite.

Thankfully, the ladybugs at least don’t bite!

Medicine Man Doesn't Cure the Bad Balance

2009-11-02T08:33:00.004-06:00

Last night on the way home from church we noticed that the traffic was very heavy going in the opposite direction. Then I remembered why. Talladega Racing. We don't pay any attention to racing, actually it seems pretty silly and boring to watch cars go around and around in circles.

But we had read in the local newspaper a very interesting article just this week.

Medicine man blesses speedway

There have long been rumors of Talladega Superspeedway being haunted, but speedway officials took steps to “restore balance” at the track on Thursday.

Robert Thrower, a medicine man from the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, performed a traditional Native American blessing ceremony at the start-finish line of the 2.66-mile speedway on Thursday.

Then the article goes on to quote the Talladega Raceway President:

“It was a very moving ceremony,” Humphrey said. “It’s like Mr. Thrower said, sometimes things just need to be brought back into balance. With the controversy that surrounded Talladega when we first opened, it’s a possibility that there has always been some unbalance here. I’m confident in saying that after this ceremony however, we don’t have to worry about that anymore and we are looking forward to a great AMP Energy 500 race weekend.”

But after getting home and seeing the news headlines, I think that maybe the Talladega Raceway needs to look into something else other than Indian Medicine Men!

Another Talladega, another scary wreck-filled race

Might I suggest turning to the Scriptures and God.

Reaching A Lost World - Ken Ham

2009-11-01T05:00:00.002-06:00

I read this book a few years ago and found it was very clear about why we as believers are not reaching the world with the gospel. It has nothing to do with activities, programs nor the music.

"The church is not touching the culture

because the culture has invaded the church."

~ Ken Ham ~

A Warning for Alabama Homeschoolers

2009-10-31T06:00:00.002-05:00

One reason I choose the homeschool group that I did, many years ago, is that I could be sure that they would stay aware of the political situation concerning homeschool. Several weeks ago they sent out a warning and now we have received an official notice from HSLDA. So below is a warning for those who homeschool in Alabama.

Controversy over “Attendance” at Church Schools

A memorandum from the Alabama state superintendent of education to all city and county superintendents dated September 24, 2009, has sparked a controversy regarding the church school option employed by parents providing home instruction to their children. The memorandum from Dr. Joseph B. Morton reiterates Alabama’s long-held position that the only legal means of “homeschooling” is by a private tutor who is certified to teach in the public schools. Morton’s memorandum recognizes attendance at a church school as an option for complying with Alabama’s compulsory education requirements, but any such arrangement is not recognized as “homeschooling.” The memo makes specific reference to the “enrollment and attendance” language of Alabama law as it relates to the filing of a church school enrollment form with the local public school superintendent. Merely being enrolled in the church school is not sufficient to fulfill the requirement that the student attend the school. ...

Hopefully, the letter from HSLDA has resolved this issue and it won't come up again. But there is no way the present government administration nationally will keep out of the homeschool issue.

Checking For Life - Prayer

2009-10-30T08:30:00.002-05:00

While checking for evidences of life and growth, what about your prayers?

Do You Pray?

I ask whether you pray, because a habit of prayer is one of the surest marks of a true Christian.

All the children of God on earth are alike in this respect. From the moment there is any life and reality about their religion, they pray. Just as the first sign of life in an infant when born into the world is the act of breathing, so the first act of men and women when they are born again is praying.

This is one of the common marks of all the elect of God, “They cry unto him day and night” (Luke 18:1). The Holy Spirit, who makes them new creatures, works in them the feeling of adoption, and makes them cry, “Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15). The Lord Jesus, when he quickens them, gives them a voice and a tongue, and says to them, “Be dumb no more.” God has no dumb children. It is as much a part of their new nature to pray, as it is of a child to cry. They see their need of mercy and grace. They feel their emptiness and weakness. They can not do otherwise than they do. They must pray.
...
But this I do say, that not praying is a clear proof that a man is not yet a true Christian. He cannot really feel his sins. He cannot love God. He cannot feel himself a debtor to Christ. He cannot long after holiness. He cannot desire heaven. He has yet to be born again. He has yet to be made a new creature. He may boast confidently of election, grace, faith, hope, and knowledge, and deceive ignorant people. But you may rest assured it is all vain talk if he does not pray.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning,

the devil gets the victory through the day.

I have so much business I cannot get on

without spending three hours daily in prayer.

~ Martin Luther ~

"Prayer will make a man cease from sin,

or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer."

~ John Bunyon ~

"The little estimate we put on prayer

is evidence from the little time we give to it."

~ E.M. Bounds ~

Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. ESV

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Rejoice always,
17 pray without ceasing,
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ESV

"You may as soon find a living man that does not breath,

as a living Christian that does not pray."

~ Matthew Henry ~

Is there evidence of growth and life?

Do You See Growth?

2009-10-29T08:30:00.000-05:00

I'm not much of a gardener nor do I do well with houseplants. I have just a few that I have been able to keep alive over the years. Many times my houseplants just sorta stagnate for years before succumbing to death. What do I mean by stagnate?

No growth.

Gradually loosing leaves but not replacing them.

Leaves becoming more and more yellow.

Never flowering.
No fruit.

Some Christians are like my houseplants. They are stagnant and dying instead of growing and producing fruit.

“The Christian who is always at a standstill,

to all appearance the same man,

with the same little faults, and weaknesses,

and besetting sins, and petty infirmities,

is seldom the Christian who does much good.

The man who shakes and stirs minds,

and sets the world thinking,

is the believer who is continually improving and going forward.

Men think there is life and reality when they see growth.”

Holiness by J.C. Ryle - pp. 103-104

Do you see growth?

Music Communicates - Quotes

2009-10-28T10:20:00.002-05:00

While discussing music, I have tried to point out that music is a form of communication. And that as a form of communication that music is not neutral.

Here are some varied quotes from musicians that show they feel the music (tune) itself communicates.

“Words make you think a thought.
Music makes you feel a feeling.
A song makes you feel a thought.”
~ E. Y. Harburg

"The aim and final end of all music
should be none other than the glory of God
and the refreshment of the soul."
~ Johann Sebastian Bach

“Music speaks what cannot be expressed,
soothes the mind and gives it rest,
heals the heart and makes it whole,
flows from heaven to the soul.”
~ Unknown

“Where words fail, music speaks.”
~ Hans Christian Andersen

“Music expresses that which
cannot be put into words
and cannot remain silent”
~ Victor Hugo

"Music is the hardest kind of art.
It doesn't hang up on a wall
and wait to be stared at and enjoyed by passersby.
It's communication.
It's hours and hours being put into a work of art
that may only last, in reality, for a few moments...
but if done well, and truly appreciated,
it lasts in our hearts forever.
That's art.
Speaking with your heart to the hearts of others."
~ Mr. Dan Romano

"Bach gave us God's word,
Mozart gave us God's laughter,
Beethoven gave us God's fire.
God gave us music that we might pray without words."
~ On an old Opera Hall

"Music expresses feelings words cannot."
~ Unknown

"Music can name the unnamable
and communicate the unknowable."
~ Leonard Bernstein

True Church Conference 2010

2009-10-28T05:00:00.001-05:00

The Quagmire of Hyper-Calvinism

February 18-21, 2010

Grace Life Church of the Shoals
1915 Avalon Ave
Muscle Shoals, Alabama 35661-3119

Speakers include:

Dr. Michael Haykin,

Jonathan Sims,

David Miller,

Barry King

Conrad Mbewe

Jeff Noblit

Did David Dance Before the Lord Naked?

2009-10-27T08:16:00.004-05:00

I don’t know where the idea arrived that David danced naked before the Lord. But that is one of the very common statements thrown at believers to excuse all kinds of behavior, especially Rick Pino type of services.

The only place I found even a mention that might could refer to undress was in Thomas Nelson’s Bible Dictionary, but that is a very poor resource. It implies that all David wore was the equivalent of a loin cloth. But just a simple reading of Scripture will show that the ephod was much more than a loin cloth.

"Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing [only] a linen ephod [loincloth, kilt, or apron]" (2 Samuel 6:14). Whatever garment David was wearing, it apparently scandalized Michal, who accused him of lewd, base behavior-of "uncovering himself in the eyes of the maids" (2 Samuel 6:20).
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Just because a jealous individual says that someone is doing wrong does not make it so. From the punishment Michal received, it is obvious that she was the one in the wrong.

An ephod was a priestly garment worn over a simple robe; there was nothing immodest about it. David just had simple (humble) clothing, not his kingly garb that would have designated him as above the others, he was dressed as the rest of Levites bearing the ark. David was humbled before his Lord and the ark.

David danced humbly before the Lord. Not in underwear, but in the simple ephod that everyone serving the Lord would wear. This was a humble person's attire, not sinful or shameful. Michal accused David of dancing like a common man and beneath his station in life, no robe or crown to set him off as more important than others. An ephod was worn by the most simple servants of the Lord:

1 Samuel 2:18 Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod. ESV

Wearing a linen ephod was symbolic of serving before the Lord, it was the attire of the priests. David was serving just as if he was a priest.

1 Sam 2:18 But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. KJV

1 Chron 15:27 David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as also were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the music of the singers. And David wore a linen ephod. ESV

1 Samuel 22:18 Then the king said to Doeg, "You turn and strike the priests." And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. ESV

The word dance that is referred to is:‎

raqad (raw-kad'); a primitive root; properly, to stamp, i.e. to spring about (wildly or for joy):

KJV - dance, jump, leap, skip.

Which very well could have meant that David was skipping and leaping. He was also playing an instrument. That word for dance is not the same word translated as dance in Exodus 32:19 when the Israelites were dancing wildly in front of the Golden Calf.

~ Dance

The ancient dance was very different from that common among Western nations. It was usually the part of the women only (Exodus 15:20; Judges 11:34; comp. 5:1). Hence the peculiarity of David's conduct in dancing before the ark of the Lord (2 Samuel 6:14). The women took part in it with their timbrels. Michal should, in accordance with the example of Miriam and others, have herself led the female choir, instead of keeping aloof on the occasion and "looking through the window." David led the choir "uncovered", i.e., wearing only the ephod or linen tunic. He thought only of the honour of God, and forgot himself.

(from Easton's Bible Dictionary, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

~ DAVID

… David brought it up [the ark], stripping off his royal robe in the presence of the symbol of Jehovah's throne, the true King, and in a linen ephod, to mark his assuming the priestly along with the kingly function, "dancing before the Lord with all his might," …

(from Fausset's Bible Dictionary, Electronic Database Copyright © 1998, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

~ 2 Sam 6:12-19

On this occasion David laid aside his imperial purple, and put on a plain linen ephod, which was light and convenient for dancing, and was used in religious exercises by those who were no priests, for Samuel wore one, 1 Samuel 2:18. That great prince thought it no disparagement to him to appear in the habit of a minister to the ark.

(from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, PC Study Bible Formatted Electronic Database Copyright © 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All Rights reserved.)

We should all humble ourselves before the Lord and serve Him with the sincerity of David.

Do You Remember Your Purpose In Life?

2009-10-26T09:06:00.006-05:00

Are you teaching your children their purpose in life?

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?

A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God,[1] and to enjoy him forever.[2]

[1] Psalms 86
1 Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.
3 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace.
7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.
8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours.
9 All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.
10 For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.
12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14 O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seek my life, and they do not set you before them.
15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant.
17 Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me. ESV
Isaiah 60:21 Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified. ESV
Romans 11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. ESV
1 Corinthians 6:20 ... for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. ESV
Revelation 4:11 "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." ESV

[2] Psalms 16:5-11
5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.
11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. ESV
Psalms 144:15 Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord! ESV
Isaiah 12:2 "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation." ESV
Luke 2:10 And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. ESV
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ESV
Revelation 21:3-4
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." ESV

This is a short 9 minute video clip.

HT: Voddie Baucham

Local Ministry to Families

2009-10-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

Eric Hixson is a previous youth minister that has actually developed his ministry into a Family Ministry.

This past weekend we were able to hear him a few times as he preached on the need for repentance from sin and how fathers should minister to their families.

Sin and Repentance

What Do You Love? (1 John 2:15-17)

Fathers and Family Worship (Psalm 127:1-5)

A Scientist Who Questions Global Warming

2009-10-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

All real scientists believe that "Global Warming" is occurring. Right? Nope.

Dr. Tim Coleman is a Birmingham Meteorologist, with a PhD degree in atmospheric science. This is an article of his from the news weather blog. I can not even pretend that I understood all the article and the charts and graphs but I did find the information interesting and contrary to the typical "Global Warming" hype.

Global warming – A review

... Many climate models, similar in some ways to numerical weather prediction models like the GFS, are run to predict the future climate and its effects on rainfall patterns, local temperatures, and even biological cycles. However, we know how inaccurate our weather prediction models are at times! And, IPCC model-based temperature projections from 2000-2009 are apparently wrong. ...

Also, as pointed out by Alabama State Climatologist John Christy in his response to EPA assertions (for his report, click here.), running the IPCC models for the past 30 years shows that they greatly overpredict warming. Christy states “the models overstate the warming that has occurred. The clear implication of this result is that the models have an assumed sensitivity to CO2 that the real world does not.” Christy points out that the big model weakness is cloud cover. Climate models indicate that increasing CO2 causes a decrease in clouds, further warming the earth in a positive feedback. Actually, Roy Spencer of UAH has found that warming the earth increases clouds, so the earth has its own “thermostat” to cool things down if it warms. ...