Saturday, December 12, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Convention pt. 2
When the disciples suggested sending the 5,000 away, so that they could get food. They did this because it was what was realistic for that situation. Christ came into that situation to show them something even more real and more realistic. He took 5 loaves and two fish and fed 5,000 people and had 12 basketful left over. This defied logic. It defied science. It defied any ability of man.
God's ways are not defined by the world. Christ has called us into a Kingdom that is more real than this age. This is why we come to God's word like a child who trusts his Father. His word is true and believable and trustworthy. And so we live our lives by these words.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Convention
When God's way is presented there are all these objections because it doesn't fit our conventional way of thinking.
When the crowds of 5,000 people were hungry, the disciples came to Jesus and told him it would be best to to let the crowds go and buy food. This would have been the responsible and rational thing to do. . . .
Hebrews 11 says that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible."
God does not work by the standards of this world, or by the science, or by worldly wisdom. He is God. He is God and He is worthy of our trust.
I don't want to live by the world's conventions. I don't want to do business the same way. I don't want to be safe in how I live my life. I want to live by faith, which is not the safe way, because it is having faith in someone who makes things happen from the unseen. Whether in the mundane or in the not so mundane, this should be the norm for Christians. We must live our lives and make decisions based on a belief in a God that is not regulated to the rules of this world.
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Patient Trust by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ
Above all, trust in the slow work of God
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something
unknown, something new.
And yet it is the law of all progress
that it is made by passing through
some stages of instability-
and that it may take a very long time
And so I think it is with you.
your ideas mature gradually-let them grow
let them shape themselves, without undue hast.
Don’t try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time
(that is to say, grace and circumstances
acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow
Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.
http://www.teilharddechardin.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Teilhard_de_Chardin
(Karen sent this poem to me.)
Monday, October 19, 2009
Exodus 20:11 - In six days . . .
Exodus 20:11
11"For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
Exodus 31:17
17"It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed."
Sunday, October 18, 2009
The Theology of Creation - John MacArthur
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Boast in the Lord
Write Every Letter Of Your Law On My Heart - by Landon Lewis
Write every letter of your law on my heart
That I may always have the highest regard
For every word that does proceed from your mouth
In all matters large and small, simple and hard.
Remove every desire and inclination
To coerce what is written to bow the knee
Before my feelings and presuppositions
For comfort’s sake or to justify my deeds.
Bestow the passion, courage, and endurance
Needed to stay firmly entrenched in your word
When apprehensive, ridden, heavy-laden
And assailed with speech or stone by friend or foe.
And generate a wellspring of compassion
As a complement to the steely resolve
That I may image forth your son’s perfect love:
Never harsh, never shifty, never dissolved.
Scripture Inspiration: Jeremiah 31:33-34, Deuteronomy 8:3, & Ezekiel 11:19-20
By Landon Lewis
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
God had led him to this woman.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Segregation in the Church
This is not God's heart for the church. He has knit us together as a body and we need all the parts coming together. There may be a time and place to separate into these groups, but separation into these groups should be a rarity and not something that is common. If you hang out, make sure you invite people of all ages. Make sure that you seek to be involved as a body in the church and not a segregated group. This takes hard work and its a different thinking for this modern age (and this is more of a modern thing). But segregation in the church has never meant to be the norm.
So older people invest in and seek out younger folks. Younger folks pursue the wisdom and encouragement of older people. When you hang out work hard at this and don't just give into the easy standards of modern thinking.
Finding a man to lead a Bible Study.
First, prayer asking got to raise a man to lead. I think this is one of the most powerful things. And God will definitely hear this prayer if you patiently wait on Him.
Some possible other things that you can do is
- talk to the pastor, elders, deacons and ask him to find a man to lead it.
- encourage the men around you to lead. Ask them to lead. This is a skill that many women need to learn. Ask God and He will give you wisdom on how to encourage the men around you to lead.
- continue to pray. Get the women together and pray earnestly for this
- Don't lead or teach over men. God is a God of His word. Not only would it be sin to lead or teach over men, but your stating God is not a God of His word and you can't trust Him. You can trust Him. Don't do things your way.
As I search the word on this, the reason God would not have a woman lead or teach over men in this situation is because He has something greater in mind. He wants to strengthen the church. And it is a powerful thing, where you have a church with women who are earnestly praying. Be patient, wait on the Lord, trust His timing. These women will have more influence and more honor and more respect than if they took it upon themselves instead of allowing God to take control.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Loss of sensitivity - pt 2
I have known many Christians (including myself) who have fallen into sexual immorality, because they lost their sensitivity to what it means to be pure. And they have lost their sensitivity to sexual sin.
A lot of this lack of sensitivity is because what we have chosen to be entertained by. There is a reason that God said to flee sexual immorality, to not come near it, to not even entertain a hint of it. It is because God knows that if we do, we will probably fall.
Revelation 2:20-23 Participation of the Church in immorality, a sign of a corrupt heart
Lack of sensitivity
Today, Christians often refuse to give up their entertainment in order to stand up for others. Worse, they refuse to give up their entertainment for God. There are many movies that have absolute sinful scenes and yet we love our entertainment more than God, the scriptures and others.
One area of entertainment where we have lost our sensitivity is sexual immorality. I am shocked when I here a Christian struggling with whether or not it is ok to watch a movie with a sexual scene in it. The fact that this would even be a question, shows how much the church has lost their sensitivity to things that are evil. I don't think we would be willing to go and watch a live couple commit some sexual act or be nude in our living room or anywhere else for that matter for entertainment, even if we turned our heads or went into the other room. But we are willing put up with it and watch it behind the safety of a tv or movie screen. Realize this, these are real men and women, just as real as if they were there live, committing real sexual immorality and sin. Having a screen or the fact that it is a good movie otherwise doesn't make it less real.
This is not good and this struggle is not good. This is a symptom of a heart grown cold toward the things of God. It shows how far our hearts have come from God in this area. When we struggle, it shows that our hearts are pulled to loving other things more than God. There should not be a struggle. God is clear on his view of sexual immorality. We are not to have any part in it, not even a hint of sexual immorality. And God is also clear that we are to love others and to love with an agape love (a love that is strong, stronger than our for fleeting entertainment). It should break our hearts that our entertainment industry promotes sexual immorality and adultery and takes advantage of people, just as in Rome they took advantage of the gladiators for their entertainment. Looking away or fast forwarding is like going to watch a gladiator battle and looking away or taking a break to go to the restroom right before the one kills the other, but still being entertained by the pomp and festivities around the fight, and on top of that you are still giving them the money to continue to produce these death fights by attending. Even though you say you are not participating in the bad parts, you are. God has called us to be a light, to bring goodness and justice; to love others and to be willing to stand up for the good of others, even when it hurts, even when we must miss a movie we really want to watch.
Just a short time ago this was not a hard issue. It was not complicated. It was not a struggle. It was a dishonor to being entertained by a movie was a movie or anything that defiled the marriage bed or demeaned a man or woman sexually, no matter how good the rest of the movie was. A man was not a man of honor if he watched these kind of movies. It was called integrity and honor. A man or women still has no honor if they chose to participate in a movie like this. Our hearts have grown cold. This issue has only become complicated because of an increased love of entertainment and a decreased love for God, His word, purity and a decreased love for others and justice. We love our entertainment more than we love God and more than we love others.
I am writing this, not because I am any better, but because I want this in my own life. I want my own heart to turn from being cold in these areas where I struggle with this and to turn to love. I want the parts in my own heart that have been corrupt to become pure. I want the God who searches our hearts to search my own, and put to death this in me. I want to love. And I want to stand for the things that God loves. And I want to love others. And I want to love my Beloved.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
"The greatest influence on earth whether for good or for evil, is possessed by woman."
Future Homemakers¹
Nicole Whitacre
As a young woman, I often lay in bed at night and wondered about my future. I stared hard into the darkness, as if God had put the answers there. I had a longing to do great things for God. I imagined myself as a missionary in another country, maybe even a nurse. (I assumed my tendency to faint at the sight of blood would not be a problem.) I had visions of speaking to crowds of women, leading many to the gospel.
What I didn't yet understand was that God's plan for me was greater than what my imagination could conjure up. It was also very different than what I thought.
How about you? What are your dreams and aspirations for your future? How do you answer the well-meaning adults who ask about your plans after high school?
It may surprise you to learn that God in the Bible has already given you a sneak peek into your future. As women, we are all appointed to be keepers of the home (Prov 31:10-31; 1 Tim 5:14; Titus 2:5). Someday you may be called to love a husband and bring up children and make a home for them. Or as a single woman, you may be entrusted with a home from which you extend hospitality and vital service to your church and community. While you may pursue many other God-honoring tasks or occupations throughout your lifetime, you are also called to be a homemaker.
This is our purpose in life, what John Angell James calls a "woman's mission"—to "affect society through the medium of family influence."2 You see, being feminine isn't just who we are; it's also what we do. Our feminine identity comes with a unique task: to change the world by devoting ourselves to home life.
Now this does not mean that the Bible confines girls and women to their homes. The Proverbs 31 woman—the ideal homemaker—pursued endeavors outside of the home for the good of her family. And, of course, single women will have careers that require them to work beyond the home. But Scripture unapologetically sets forth the high priority of the home for each and every woman.
Although this is our clear mission from God, not many young women aspire to be homemakers these days. While there are many other worthy careers they may consider, homemaking isn't usually on the list of desirable options.
However, it wasn't so long ago that women thought differently about homemaking. As author Danielle Crittenden points out, "Whether it's the pleasure of being a wife or of raising children or of making a home—[these] were, until the day before yesterday, considered the most natural things in the world."3 Today the most natural thing in the world is for girls to consider any career except that of homemaker. So what happened? When did homemaking fall off the radar screen for young women?
To make a very long story short, forty years ago a revolution known as the feminist movement set out to "liberate" our mothers' generation from being tied down to the home. And part and parcel of the feminist message was "a disdain of domesticity and a contempt for housewives."4
And there is perhaps no greater measurement of the success of feminism than the fact that our generation no longer considers homemaking a viable career. As my mom has written, "Feminist philosophy has become thoroughly integrated into the values of mainstream society—so much so, that it has been absorbed and applied by the majority of women, even many who do not consider themselves feminist."5 The feminist revolution is not a revolution anymore; it's simply a way of life.
While motherhood has made a comeback in the ratings of late—and only as a worthy interlude in an otherwise successful career—homemaking in its full scope remains unpopular. Thus you may not have thought of housewives (a term usually employed while looking down on someone) as being world-changers before. But looks can be deceiving. True greatness isn't always flashy or attention-grabbing when it arrives on the scene. I didn't see it at first either.
My mom is a homemaker. I grew up with a living model of a woman who utilized all her intelligence, creativity, and energy to create a home and care for her husband and children. But I didn't always fully appreciate the true significance of her chosen career.
Sure, I wanted to get married and have kids someday and have a home of my own, but I lacked a biblical understanding and vision of the importance and priority of my future calling. However, Mom did not allow me to remain ignorant for long. Through Scripture, hours of conversations, and helpful books, she presented to me the noble calling of a homemaker and its powerful effect in the world.
I learned that, as John Angell James wrote, quoting Adolphe Monod, "The greatest influence on earth whether for good or for evil, is possessed by woman."6 Modern-day pastor John MacArthur echoes his sentiment:
The family might survive the problems with children and husband-fathers if the women who are wives and mothers were faithful to their godly calling. Their influence is so strong and pervasive in the home that it can mitigate the other influences. . . . when a wife and mother fulfills her God-given duty, she acts as a barrier against that family's dishonoring God and His Word.7
Mom not only taught me of the power of a homemaker's influence in the world but about the fulfilling nature of her job. Dorothy Patterson elaborates,
Homemaking, if pursued with energy, imagination, and skills, has as much challenge and opportunity, success and failure, growth and expansion, perks and incentives as any corporation, plus something no other position offers—working for people you love most and want to please the most!8
Through my mother's example and training, I caught a vision of the importance of my future mission. I knew that whether or not I got married, and no matter what other tasks God might have for me, I wanted to fulfill my biblical calling to be a "keeper of the home."
Today, although I may not be doing important works by society's standards, I am doing great things for God, by His grace. Although God did not call me to be a missionary in another country, I am able to share the gospel with my little boy, Jack. While I may not be an encouragement to thousands, I can pray for and encourage Steve, the godly man who is my husband. And I finally realized that I wasn't cut out to be a nurse, but each and every day I have the opportunity to serve the church and reach out to the community, all from the base of my home.
I know many other women, married and single, who are quietly and without fanfare starting a counterrevolution. They are intelligent, talented, godly visionaries who are seeking to change their world by answering God's call to be homemakers.
Carolyn McCulley is one such single woman. She has turned her back on the feminist ideology she formerly embraced and now enthusiastically serves others through her home. While she holds down a demanding job, she also thrives on hosting singles and married couples alike in her home for fellowship or evangelism (and even gourmet meals!). She loves to have children—especially her nieces and nephews—spend the night. In fact, Carolyn has recently written a book to encourage other single women to embrace God's feminine design.9
Another revolutionary is my friend, Jonalee Earles, a young wife and mother. She was a straight-A student in high school who went on to study interior design and could have had her pick of career options. However, she's chosen to invest her creative talent into making a pleasant and delightful home for her husband and their three small children. Jonalee is a wonderful wife, an exceptional mom, and a skilled and artistic homemaker. In her spare time she helps other women decorate their homes.
Stephanie Pyle is a future homemaker. A bright college student at the local university, she does not hesitate to tell others that she hopes to make use of her degree as a wife and mother someday. Her fellow students are perplexed but curious. Stephanie is a young woman who has a clear vision of the importance of the home.
Carolyn, Jonalee, and Stephanie are participating in what one person called "the great task of renovating the world":
Even if we cannot reform the world in a moment, we can begin the work by reforming ourselves and our households—It is woman's mission. Let her not look away from her own little family circle for the means of producing moral and social reforms, but begin at home.10
You want to join us? I must warn you that the world will not applaud you. Or worse, they may look down on you and criticize you. I guarantee there won't be awards given out for homemakers—at least, not in this world. And we probably won't see the effects right away. But our influence will surely outlast our lives.
Actually you don't have to wait until a future day or time to get started on your mission. You can begin today. My mom, Carolyn Mahaney, will tell you how in the following article. But for the moment, consider: When the next person asks about your plans after high school, how will you respond? Will you join the vast number of women who have tossed away the keys to the home? Or will you join the homemaker's mission to change the world with the gospel?
Endnotes
1 From Girl Talk: Mother-Daughter Conversations on Biblical Womanhood by Carolyn Mahaney and Nicole Mahaney Whitacre, copyright 2005, pages 143-48. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, www.crossway.com.
2 John Angell James, Female Piety: A Young Woman's Friend and Guide (Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria, 1860, repr. 1995), 91-92.
3 Danielle Crittenden, What Our Mothers Didn't Tell Us (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999), 22.
4 F. Carolyn Graglia, Domestic Tranquility (Dallas, TX: Spence, 1998), 92.
5 Carolyn Mahaney, Feminine Appeal: Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2003), 103.
6 James, Female Piety, 72.
7 John MacArthur, Foreword to Pat Ennis and Lisa Tatlock, Becoming a Woman Who Pleases God, (Chicago: Moody, 2003), 12.
8 Dorothy Patterson, "The High Calling of Wife and Mother in Biblical Perspective," in Recovering Biblical Manhood & Womanhood (ed. John Piper and Wayne Grudem; Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1991), 377.
9 Carolyn McCulley, Did I Kiss Marriage Goodbye? Trusting God with A Hope Deferred (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2004).
10 Barbara Welter, "The Cult of True Womanhood: 1820-1860," American Quarterly, 18 (Summer 1966), 53, 174; quoted in Susan Hunt, The True Woman (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1997), 24.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Piety overcoming struggles with sin
I think I was just hoping for more. I was hoping I'd be stronger. And it is tearing me apart that I am not. I think I thought maybe I wouldn't have to deal with these fears any more. So when I see myself fall into them it devastates me. And even though I have grown, I think just the fact that I have these fears at all is breaking my heart. I should have conquered these fears by now.
I looked at Romans 7, last night. I feel like this. Not understanding, hating myself, feeling like sin is always just right there, this constant war. At the end Paul confesses who he is, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? . . .
. . . Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" I need to trust Christ. He is the one that can deliver me from this body of death. The next few chapters are powerful in talking about how God is sanctifying us and making us more like Him. I need to hold on to that promise in the midst of these struggles. I need to be reminded that even though I fail, He doesn't. And that the Gospel that saved me will also sanctifies me.
I think I have been working so hard not to fear, that instead of looking to God and His grace and His strength, all that I can see is myself as a failure, instead of a man that God is working on and changing. It is not me who is glorious, it is Him. I have no good thing apart from Him.
John Calvin said, “I call ‘piety’ that reverence joined with love of God which the knowledge of his benefits induces.” I must have faith in His sovereign goodness and His Fatherly care for me in my struggles with sin. The punishment was taken at the cross, and therefore there is no longer any condemnation, only a loving Father, who walks alongside me and trains and leads me, so faithfully and so lovingly, and so patiently. And I need to trust in His promises to sanctify me.
And even though He might discipline me with the rod, the rod is not an instrument for punishment or retribution for my sin, but an instrument for training me in righteousness. It is His loving hand guiding me and protecting me in the way I should go. And He is so faithful in taking this boy and making him into a man.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Romans 7
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! . . . .
I am so glad that God can love me, even though I am a mess.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Assumptions causing loss of friendships
Instead of having hearts that make assumptions. Our hearts should be broken, quick to listen and ready to love, even when we are being wronged. We should be patient with others faults, listening to find out where they are at, and speaking the truth in love. . .
God knows us. He does not make assumptions. And yet He treats us with such grace.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Hebrews 12:1,2
Living by faith is not the life of a dreamer or an idealist. . . .
It is the pursuit of the realist.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Realist
Prayer for work
Our good God, Father and Savior, since You have pleased to command us to work to meet our needs, by Your grace may You so bless our labor that Your benediction may extend to us: without it we cannot continue to live. And may Your favor serve us as a witness of Your goodness and presence, that by it we may recognize the fatherly care You have for us. Moreover, O Lord, please grant us aid by Your Holy Spirit, so that we may faithfully work in our place and vocation, without any fraud or deception; may we pay attention to following Your ordinance rather than satisfying our own lust for gain. And if it please You to prosper our labor, may You also give us the heart to support those who are in need according to the ability You have given us - but always without our wishing to set ourselves above those who have not received such generosity from You. And where You choose to give us greater poverty and lack than our flesh would like, You, O Lord, grant us the grace to acknowledge that You always feed us by Your goodness, so that we may not be tempted to defy You. But may we wait with patience for You to fill us not only with Your temporal graces but also with spiritual ones, so that we may always have greater reason and occasion to thank you and to repose entirely on your goodness alone. Hear us, most merciful Father, by Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Question from my womanhood blog
-
hey- i got to your blog thru a___. quick question- what about a theological discussion around the table, at a meal or gathering? do you think that it is biblically wrong for a woman to engage with a man other than her husband about theology -whether her husband is present or not? is it wrong for me to ask you this question thru blogging? should i have asked my husband first? thanks-
- June 20, 2008 9:38 AM
-
That’s a good question. When I wrote these things on women, I wanted to get at the raw meaning of what the scripture is saying. Not necessarily figure out all the practical aspects of it, but to just find out, “what is it saying?”, because I know that God is wiser than I am, and I can trust Him at his word, and that it is a good thing to obey Him. I also wanted to know because; I didn’t want to ask something of women that God was not asking. I will be honest with you I am still wrestling with this specific verse, trying to get at the core of what it is saying and what it means practically for us. I tend to approach scripture like Jacob when he wrestled with God. I wrestle with it and chew on it till God shows me what it means. This verse is such a sensitive topic, so I don’t want to come to a quick conclusion. But what I have written on 1 Corinthians 14 is what has come out of my wrestling with the verse so far. The scriptures are pretty clear that a woman ought to express “theology” or “who God is” in all that she does, whether actions or words. Anyone who would interpret 1 Corinthians 14 as saying that women should be weak or not express who God is has not really studied the scripture on this issue. And no I do not think that she has to ask her husband every time she expresses who God is in her life. I think we have to be careful of bringing our cultural perspective, or any cultural perspective, into our understanding of the verses on women. Also we must be careful not to have an “either . . . or” mentality. As with many things the things of the Kingdom of God do not fit into these things. Women our both to be strong in their expression of theology both in their words and in their actions with men and they are also supposed to support the leadership of men, especially that of their husbands. I don’t think these are exclusive things.
Since Paul uses scripture as his reasoning for saying this (specifically to women) and later says it’s the Lord’s command, we cannot just ignore these verses. We must obey it. I do think it will take some learning on how to live these verses out practically, one to get our own assumptions on what this looks like out of the way, and two to learn to live out what the Kingdom of God has for us. My hope is to get people to start believing in the scripture and then once they do ask how we are to obey it.
Here is what I have come up with so far on the practical side of these verses, although I have not settled on a conclusion. The church is meant to be lead not only by pastors, elders, and deacons, but as families come into the church the father is to represent his family within the church and provide godly leadership. These verses reflect that: fathers rising up and taking responsibility to see that their homes are the Lord’s, teaching their family about the ways of the Lord. So I think this is the overall lesson of these verses: Women, what can you do to establish the godly leadership of your husband in your home. This is the over arching principle in whatever situation you find you self in, whether in the church meeting or out of it (1 Corinthians 11).
Specifically, this verse refers to meeting as a church (whether small group meeting or a Sunday service). I don’t think this means that a women cannot talk about God openly in her daily actions. In fact, I think that is the essence of womanhood, to express God in all she does whether by words or actions. So as long as she is supporting her husband’s leadership and is not in an authoritative or teaching position over men, I would not put any restrictions on her outside the church, as long as it is done with a gentle and quiet spirit (don’t put cultural connotations on this). I think an example of this is Aquila and Priscilla with Apollos. This was a one on one interaction with Apollos, and although I am sure they probably mostly talked with him together, I also wouldn’t be surprised if there were times for example Priscilla was working around the house and praising God and talking with Apollo on how great God is and about theology. We also know that Paul and Jesus talked with women. I think that theology should be part of a regular discussion among Christians (Col 3:16). What better thing to talk about then the glories of God as a part of normal discussion. I don’t think these verses are restricting that by any means.
I do think, though, within church or small group meetings there should be strong leadership from the men. And that this restriction focuses on that. I believe that these verses are putting the responsibility on direction, teaching, authority, and judgment on the men, because when that happens the church is stronger. It is not saying that women must be totally silence, because we see that in 1 Corinthians 11, Acts 1-2, and so on, but when it comes to the things above they are to be silent. I will be honest with you; I am still wrestling at this point. I also have the questions of “What is this supposed to look like?” And when I say these things, I also have a strong reaction like most people (because I come to it with my cultural expectations of what that looks like), but I am not interested in what I have say about it or what feel, but instead I want to submit to the word of God; “was it from [me] that the word of God came?” I do have more ideas about this verse, which are interesting and hopefully will be helpful, but I am still chewing on it waiting on the Lord to give me the answer, but I think what it comes down to is that we have to surrender to God in this and say, “I know you have something good here, your Word is God breathed and is for our good. God show us what you mean here and how we can practically live it out.” And He is good, and I think we will find in His word so much more than we expected or dreamed.
July 2007 - Response to ladies questions
1. If you could say one thing to encourage the ladies in LG, what would you say?
I have sisters and I want them to know that they are beautiful. Ladies, I want you to know that you are beautiful. You are captivating.
2. If you could say one thing to challenge the ladies in LG, what would you say?
The scripture is the Voice of God, it is so good. . . .Embrace godly and scriptural womanhood. . . . Ladies, don’t be caught in the trappings and oppression of our culture, to which we are no longer a part. Feed on God’s faithfulness, it challenges women to be so much more than our culture and to have more influence in the church, ministry, and the world, then they often do because the churches have bought into the culture. What God has for you is so good. Learn from Him, He is gentle and humble of heart.
3. How can the ladies in LG serve and honor you as men better? (be honest – they’re not going to know who wrote what)
I have often heard women (and men) make fun of the verses regarding women being in silence. These verses state within themselves that they are based on the authority of the command of Christ, the scripture, the apostleship of Paul, the design of God in creating women at Creation before sin entered the world, and the fact that they are scripture themselves. Based on this authority, they should not be taken lightly or laughed at. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Elsewhere it says, “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist, Says the LORD. But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word”. What ever your opinion is on these verses, they are scripture and they are based on strong authority, don’t take them lightly. If you really want to know what these verses mean, come as a child and believe your Father, trust Him. He is good and you might be surprised by what you find. Ladies, I say this because God’s vision for womanhood is bigger than mine or yours or anyone else’s. . . . Now, how does this relate to honoring men? Well, that is what makes it great. God has a lot of wonderful things to show you, if you are willing to learn and obey. Living out what God has for you is the best way you can honor us.
4. Why is it important to you as a man that the ladies seek God everyday?
Women are vital to the church and my own walk with the Lord. I need them to be close to the Lord. I need their godly influence in my life.
5. Why is it important to you that they walk in purity?
I want a wife who will walk with me in purity and passion. Purity is not something that ends when you get married. I am also a romantic and I want to be able to share that part of my life with only one woman. Also impurity brings shame and brings areas where you don’t feel you can be vulnerable and “naked”. I want to be able to be “naked and unashamed” with my wife.
Just a side comment, I know enough women to know that even though you may not struggle with lust in the same way men do, women do struggle and have bought into cultural perspectives that are not scriptural. Please fight to walk in purity not just in action, but in how you view and relate to men. When I said that I want a wife who is pure, I don’t just mean physically, but that she has a godly mindset in how she treats other men.
Another thing, please be modest. It is very awkward to talk with a woman, when if you look at and focus on her face, more is showing in your field of vision, no matter how hard you try to avoid it. I hate that. I want to feel like I can talk to a woman without seeing more than I want to and dishonoring her.
I think it is similar to what I said at first, the men in the church need women who will walk in purity with them.
6. If you had to pick some character qualities you wish the ladies in LG exemplified more of, what would they be?
The characteristic that I would like to see in the women of our life group is a desire for biblical womanhood. I would like to see them develop a deep hunger for God’s heart for femininity and to grow in maturity. I would like to see them challenge each other to be women after God’s own heart.
7. How would you as a man define womanhood or femininity (what is “lady-like” to you)?
I could list a lot of traits that I find beautiful in woman and lady-like, but my views and what I like are my own and although I think they express femininity well, the scripture alone can define femininity. To define femininity, I would encourage you to forget any cultural perspective you or anyone else might have and look at the scriptures, all of them; (I have several pages of them), and meditate on them. Know how femininity is defined in the culture of the Kingdom of God.
We all know Proverbs 31; it is a good place to start. I know some will try to idealize it, which is really ridiculous when you understand it. It is a very realistic view into the heart and practical lifestyle of a godly woman and has so many insights for us, today. A key scripture elsewhere says that a woman builds her home. Another scripture is 1 Peter 3, “but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” And there is more . . . daughters of the King, study God’s heart for you. Let His words wash over you.
8. At any given LG, what practically can the ladies do to bless you more? (engage in worship, dance with flags, etc…)
Believe in us as men and treat us like men. Trust us. Please, allow us to lead. Ladies, we desire to be a covering for you and we desire to honor you as men. Believe that we can honor and protect you. We so much desire to be this, give us opportunities.
One little thing you can do to help us is after life group don’t walk to you cars alone; allow us to walk you to your car. (I am not getting on to you for this, this is our responsibility, I am just showing you a way you can practically show us that you value us). Most of the time I don’t notice when women walk out (I’ll work on this), so if no man is there to walk you out, let us know that you are leaving and need someone to walk you out. That would be a huge help. If we are talking to someone interrupt us, its ok.
The key to a man’s heart is respect. As we, men, want to find ways to let you know that you are loved, find ways like this that tell us that you do believe in and respect us as men and that you appreciate our covering over you.
9. What is your biggest pet-peeve about the ladies right now?
This is not what bothers me the most (that would probably be not valuing God’s word), but it fits more in the pet-peeve category probably than anything else. Many of you have stated that you desire men to lead, but often when women wait for men to lead out, it is at the most only a few minutes and often only seconds. There are many times where I was about to step out to lead, but then was not able to because of this (and I am not the only one this has happened to). So I hear women asking for men to lead out, but then declining to be patient and wait for them to lead. Do you really believe in the men in life group? Are there women who are willing to wait for months in silence and prayer, not leading out, and praying and waiting for men to lead, because they believe in the men and in their ability to lead, and trust that the Lord will raise them up? I would like to see such women in the church, women who are strong, women who believe in the men, and are willing support the men of the church in a very real way, not just with words. The scripture says that this strength will change an ungodly man’s heart. . . . It will change ours.
Please hear me in this. I know you do want men to lead and I do believe you do want to be women who support the men in the church. I know you strongly desire to build up the men in life group. You wrote us and challenged us to lead. And I thank you so much for that. And it encouraged me. I think we are just both learning how to live this out, how to live out manhood and womanhood in the church, and that’s ok, as long as we are walking toward God in this. Be willing to listen to God’s word in learning how to encourage us as men, all of it.
One of the things you can do to bless us practically is just refuse to lead. . . . Wait for the men to lead out in life group, no matter how long it takes. Ladies, allow us to learn to lead.
I know this can be hard. I know we as men need to step it up and we often fail you. We don’t always lead as we should. I know I don’t. Let us learn. Let us even fail at times. We will mess up and be faulty, but we will learn. Be patient. You don’t have to take up the slack, you can trust God. Don’t step out and lead, wait for us to do so in life group, even if it takes a long time. I think often that many of us have such a fear that God cannot speak to His church and so we step out ahead of God and hinder God’s work. Good things may still happen (God is so gracious to us), but we miss out on God’s best. God is a patient God and He is capable. And He will do things according to His word, not in spite of it.
Also know that as men, we often want to lead, but feel so unworthy to lead or to speak or even to pray. Many of us are also deeply hurt. Allow God to work on our hearts and wait; don’t lead. There are men who desire to be men, you can trust us. Prayer is an amazing thing, pray for us.
10. Feel free to send a message to the ladies in LG…write anything you’d like them to hear:
God has uniquely designed you as women. We as men are amazed by the gifts that God has given you. And we admire the strengths that you uniquely have as women. Women are amazing! You are beautiful. You are captivating. We want to walk along side you and build you up in the Lord and honor you as men.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Safety of being honest with little hurts.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
From the book I am reading,. . . today's reading
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people!
"When two people have conflict, it is easy to see the war on the outside. But James points out that this war is an outgrowth of a war inside each person's heart. Desires are not being met, so people lash out in an attempt to satisfy those desires. In verse 4, James goes even further. He says that people engaging in ungodly conflict have already begun to worship someone or something other than God. They are guilty of spiritual adultery, which is another way to describe idolatry. The person is giving himself to a false lover.
This simple yet profound explanation of why we do what we do can have a radical impact on a person's life. It is radical because understanding our heart's idolatry opens the door for us to appropriate and apply the gospel. We have finally gotten to the root of things; we are no longer floating on the surface. We know that God is committed to reclaiming our hearts through the work of Christ and the Holy Spirit. When we see our Thorns, they help us to detect our idols, our specific God-replacements, and our ruling desires. We see our hearts need transformation, and we are led to hunger and thirst for grace. This is exactly where James goes in verses 5-10."
Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
"In verses 5 and 6, James says that God is a jealous lover who will not let you share your affection with anyone but him. . . .God is zealous to recapture our affections, so the Holy Spirit works to reclaim our hearts. Isn't this amazing? Most spurned lovers would not pursue the unfaithful spouse, but God pursues you. . . .
I verses 5-6, God moves toward you and in verses 7-10, he invites you to move toward him. God gives you grace at the very moment you are straying, and promises to give you even more when you repent and humble yourself before him. He loves to shower his mercy upon the humble.
An essential element of growing in grace is a willingness to look at what fuels the ungodly responses in your life. "Purify your hearts", says James. Look at what you allowed to become more attractive to you than the Lord. "Wash your hands," he continues. Exchange your sinful responses for godly ones. . . ."
Shaken bottle
Thursday, May 28, 2009
To forgive - Do we believe?
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. – Colossians 3:13
Why is that we don’t believe? When our hearts are hurt, we run, we hide, we push others away, but we don’t believe. God has called us to forgive. God has called us to love. God has called us to love even in the hardships and the hurts and when we are sinned against. He has called us to love when love is not returned. He has called us to love our enemies. He has called us to this, not because we are capable of loving or bearing the hurt and pain and suffering, but because He is our refuge and He knows our hurt and pain and our broken heart. And He knows what it takes to heal our hearts. It takes being near Him and making Him our refuge. When we push others away and choose not to forgive, we disobey God, who has called us to grow in love, and we run away from trusting God to be our shelter in the pain. We cannot fully heal till we have forgiven. And even in those situations where it seems impossible to forgive, there is a God full of compassion, who longs to walk along side with us, who longs to hold us and to be with us and to give us the strength to live. We can live our lives seeking to protect ourselves or we can allow God to protect us to be our shelter. So do we believe? Our we willing to trust, and to love, and to forgive?
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." – Matthew 18
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. – Luke 6
Read this : Love is worth fighting for
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
"a man who will bring out who she is not just take her", part 5
For part 1: "a man who will bring out who she is not just take her", part 1
For part 2: "a man who will bring out who she is not just take her", part 2
For part 3: "a man who will bring out who she is not just take her", part 3
For part 4: "a man who will bring out who she is not just take her", part 4
For part 5: "a man who will bring out who she is not just take her", part 5
Monday, May 18, 2009
Broken Dreams Poem...
their broken toys
with tears for us to mend,
I brought my broken dreams
to God
because He was my friend!
But then instead
of leaving Him
in peace to work alone,
I hung around
and tried to help
with ways
that were my own.
At last I snatched them back
and cried,
"How can you be so slow?"
"My child," He said
"What could I do?
You never did let go."
-- Author Unknown
Friday, May 15, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Movies and sexual immorality, pt 2
The commercials I have seen show a sex scene. And I have seen enough, where if that were my daughter or my wife, I'd be upset and angry and broken about it. So I don't see that I can say that its not ok for my daughter or my wife and then be ok with seeing it with another woman. That would be pretty hypocritical. And it would be wrong.
Basically, for me its more of a justice reason than a lust reason. Although both are definitely issues. We have a culture where men would rather be entertained, turn their heads for a moment, and watch a movie that dishonors a woman than to stand up for her and protect her. When we support movies like this we are supporting an industry that dishonors both men and women.
So we have a choice to be entertained or to be men (or Christians).
Read this, it will give you a better idea of where I am coming from: Purity and Justice