Insight from John Calvin

Genesis 15:1 - After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great."

‘Fear not, Abram, because I am thy shield.’ Moreover, by the use of the word “shield,” he signifies that Abram would always be safe under his protection. In calling himself his “reward,” He teaches Abram to be satisfied with Himself alone. And as this was, with respect to Abram, a general instruction, given for the purpose of showing him that victory was not the chief and ultimate good which God had designed him to pursue; so let us know that the same blessing is promised to us all, in the person of this one man. For, by this voice, God daily speaks to his faithful ones; inasmuch as having once undertaken to defend us, he will take care to preserve us in safety under his hand, and to protect us by his power. Now since God ascribes to himself the office and property of a shield, for the purpose of rendering himself the protector of our salvation; we ought to regard this promise as a brazen wall, so that we should not be excessively fearful in any dangers.

Despite the obvious error in the translation that John Calvin was using, where according to more accurate translations God says "Your reward will be great," rather than implying "I am your reward," Calvin's point is valid, and very insightful. The man's thoughts are still as vibrant today as they were in his own day.

Echoes of My Mind in the Words of a Monk

It's always an odd feeling to run across a thought from another blogger that seems more of an echo in my own mind, that an external reading. Here's a well thought-out description of my own place in my own journey, poured out by a man who I've not met in any way except through previous readings of his work.

Enjoy.

Using Prayer, and in Essence, Using God

After reading this article about Hamas, and their ban on outdoor prayer and the violence that afterwards ensued, it got me thinking about the rights and wrongs about using prayer as a civil disobedience tool. We do it a bit more passively, but nevertheless, we do it.

I remember from my high school days, gathering on certain days of the year around our school's flagpole on the front lawn. "Meet You at the Flag" was what they called it. And there we'd all gather, boldly standing and praying in defiance of a culture gone secular.

Today after reading about the absurdity of the violence in Gaza, I wonder if God could really be all that pleased about being used for political or civil idealism. What we're doing, in essence, when we gather in force to publicly pray in defiance of some social or civil injustice is saying "I'm telling God on you." How childish is that?

If we were truly praying for guidance or for deliverance from whatever situation ails us, wouldn't we do so in quiet, believing that our God hears and helps us? When the God of the Universe hears our cries, what need is there for social demonstrations that fall on ungodly ears? Does it not just put more bitterness in the mouths of those who condemn us for being followers of our God?

Maybe I'm simply overacting, and running with a thought that should have been discarded. I don't know. But it just seems to me that civil disobedience should not be the place to play the God card.

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover–up for evil; live as servants of God.
- 1 Peter 2:13-16

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. - Matthew 6:5-6

Internet Monk: For Smart Guys Like Me

Here's a good piece written by Michael Spencer, the Internet Monk. Michael is quite good at thoughtful and thought-provoking blog posts. This one gives us that and so much more. Here's a money quote:

I’ve told myself I’m smart, or at least smart-er than someone else, on more than a few occasions. For example, despite their training and expertise, major league umpires are almost always wrong in comparison to my observation of the same third strike pitch.

Actually, when it comes to claims of intelligence, I’m quite a skeptic. I’ve had professors that were world class and couldn’t stick to a simple syllabus or balance a checkbook. I’ve been around smart people who didn’t know how to bathe, comb their hair or change their shirt.

Enjoy!
CLICK HERE TO READ

New Birth in Central Asia!

This morning I received the following email. B. and C. are friends of ours who work in Central Asia. They have been over there since early spring of this year. Praise God for their work and dedication in serving the people in a Muslim country. Their email below tells the story of the first conversion they’ve been witness to since arriving. On account of the danger in getting kicked out of the country, B. tells the story without using “Christianese” which is why it may sound a bit odd at times in the email. And of course the name of the lady is not disclosed because she risks her very life by giving her life to Christ. Please pray for this woman, who is beginning her new life, and for B. and C. who are laboring in a very barren land.

Subject: Great news
Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2007 13:28:02 +0600


Dear Friends,

We have some great news that we wanted to share with you right away. On Sunday, B. visited a local fellowship and taught from the old part of the Book. It was a lesson filled with symbols that pointed to our Master. There was a lady there, S, who had come for the first time. S’s sister had been sharing the truth with her, but S had not yet chosen to accept it. B. used some pictures to help explain what he was teaching. Unbeknownst to B., S had seen some of these pictures four years ago, but at that time did not understand them. Now, she was seeing the same pictures and understanding them.

After the lesson, one of the other ladies sat and talked with S and explained the good news. Then, S said that she wanted to join the family! B. and other leaders talked with her to make sure that she understood. When B. asked S what she wanted the Master to do for her, she said, “Give me peace.” A few moments later, S became a daughter of the King. Yeah!!!! During the meeting, S had a troubled look on her face, but after making her decision, S dramatically changed. Her face was lit up with a big smile. She looked like a new person. She is the first person we have seen join the family since we have arrived.

Please lift up S. She has made a very courageous decision. Her family and friends will not appreciate it, and are likely to persecute her heavily. It will be difficult for her to persevere and grow. Ask the King to protect and encourage her. Ask that she will read the Book that was given to her and grow. Ask that she will become strongly connected with the fellowship in her village.

Thank you for lifting us up and our work here. Every person who has remembered us to the King and who has given their support helped to bring S into the family. Thanks for your part in this great work!

B. & C.

Epiphany #3

In my life I have had two different times where there have been world-shattering shifts in my ethos. These shifts were landmark changes in the way I viewed the world around me, as well as myself. I won't go into the causes behind these previous shifts, but personally I view them as more like a "recovery of truth" than any kind of philosophical breakthrough or anything. I say this because the end result put me in a place where I wasn't alone, just in more of a minority than I had been before. In other words, there were plenty others who had made the same journey.

Epiphany#1

My first mind-bending world change came when I discovered Reformed Theology. Someone took the time to sit down with me and show me how my misconceptions were illogical, and how I had misunderstood, or just plain failed to think about the doctrines I thought I believed in. Today, I drink up the teachings of John Piper, and bask in the greatness of the old Reformation writings of John Calvin and Luther, and I feel as if I can say to them with a smile and a wink, "I'm one of you. I get it." There's great security in that.

Not that my ultimate security doesn't come from God alone. I wouldn't be able to say I'm Reformed if I didn't believe that. But nonetheless, there is a comfort in solidly and definitively being able to say I belong because I believe this, and being able to tell you why I believe it. Not dogmatically, not arrogantly, but confidently, intelligently, and gently if asked about what it is I believe.

Epiphany #2

My second world-shift came when I realized that there's more to life than being a Republican or Democrat, more than being conservative or liberal. Television and today's media has made it very hard to come to this realization. Everything is polarized and charged slap full of rhetoric, so much so that there's very little actually being said, much less anything being done. The more this became evident to me, the less I was pleased with my chosen-by-birth political party that had been draped over me my entire life. But looking over the fence to the other side, I saw more of the same. I was not going to be content choosing the lesser of two evils, and so I left all of America's bi-polar disorder behind.

That's not to say that I have become apolitical. On the contrary, I think I've become more political than I was before. I actually feel like again, I know what I believe in and why I believe it, and I can make sense of it, and feel like I know what should be done and what should be said as a result. And again, even though it puts me in a minority, there is comfort and security there. I feel as if I stand on ground which is firm, rather than hang from strings.

Epiphany #3

And so here I am again, on the precipice of epiphany #3. With my doctrinal and political worldviews turned on its head, I stand now bracing myself for a coming storm in the world of the ecclesiastical - how we do church, and why. The turmoil has not yet begun, but it is as if I stand on the plains of my own reality and sniff the air and know a big one is about to let the bottom out. I've been through this twice before, and I remember it vividly. A storm's a' brewin'. The sky is dark and the clouds are churning. I won't take shelter from this one, because this man's parched for truth in this world. And when it rains it pours.

So bring the rain, Lord. Bring it hard. On the other side of the storm, the sky is bright.

Wanna see what's rocked my boat? Here's a good summary of what it's all about.

Click Here:

Can Creationists be "Real" Scientists?

Have you ever encountered someone claiming that any scientist that believes in a literal six-day creation, just as the Bible says, just simply cannot be a real scientist? I have. AiG published an article (an excerpt out of the book War of the Worldviews) today that definitively counters that argument. Here's a snippet:

But is a belief in particles-to-people evolution really necessary to understand biology and other sciences? Is it even helpful? Have any technological advances been made because of a belief in evolution?

Although evolutionists interpret the evidence in light of their belief in evolution, science works perfectly well without any connection to evolution. Think about it this way: is a belief in molecules-to-man evolution necessary to understand how planets orbit the sun, how telescopes operate, or how plants and animals function? Has any biological or medical research benefited from a belief in evolution? Not at all. In fact, the Ph.D. cell biologist (and creationist) Dr. David Menton has stated, “The fact is that though widely believed, evolution contributes nothing to our understanding of empirical science and thus plays no essential role in biomedical research or education.”

^{And the article continues with its conclusion....}

Clearly, creationists can indeed be real scientists. And this shouldn’t be surprising, since the very basis for scientific research is biblical creation. This is not to say that noncreationists cannot be scientists. But, in a way, an evolutionist is being inconsistent when he or she does science. The big bang supporter claims the universe is a random chance event, and yet he or she studies it as if it were logical and orderly. The evolutionist is thus forced to borrow certain creationist principles in order to do science.

Here is the full article.