my burg

In giving verbal revelation about himself, to whom can God appeal for authentication?  Reason, evidence, church councils?  He uses these as confirming witnesses, but not as the grounds for the authority of his Word, nor as the basis of our acceptance of his Word.   "For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself , saying, 'Surely I will bless you and multiply you.'  And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise.  For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation.  So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath , so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us."  ( Hebrews 6:13-18 ESV) Ther

...what do these have in common?  British author Dorothy Sayers gives insight: “In the world it is called Tolerance, but in hell it is called Despair, the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and remains alive because there is nothing for which it will die.”   Here is Sayer's quote in context , on the topic of sloth (or acedia) as one of the deadly sins.

People will say that one of the main things they are looking for in a church, or in a group of   Christians, is that they are not judgmental.   Occasionally, people will say that they appreciate that our church is not judgmental.   It's meant as a compliment, I know, but I'm a little unsure how to respond to that. Most people usually mean that a person or group of people don't pass judgment upon others in the sense of heaping condemnation upon them.   Fair enough.   But it may mean, you don't come down on sin (or a particular sin) so hard, or you're not negative about anything.   But, can we ever really be non-judgmental?   Even the statement, "you are too judgmental" or "you should be more non-judgmental" is a judgment in itself.   The speaker is making the judgment that this other kind of judgment is wrong.   There's a disapproval of that other kind of disapproval.   "You shouldn't be so negative" is a negative statem

Listening to the three-part series on 1 Peter by Vaughan Roberts in this year's EMA conference in England.   Very encouraging and challenging.  Roberts applies Peter's letter to the increasing marginalization of evangelicals today in the west.   Here are a few quotes from the second message ... "Do we add value to the culture and community in which we live?" "We may not get justice in this life, but judgment is coming." "God did not choose to save us through political power, but through the cross."

Here's a graphic I used in the History of Redemption walk-through.  In the Old Testament God raised up special individuals to mediate Israel's relationship with God. The prophet spoke to the people on behalf of God.  The priest represented the people before God.  And the king ruled the people for God.  These individuals were anointed with oil, and often with the Spirit.   The OT looked forward to One who would combine all the special, anointed offices.  Ezekiel was both priest and prophet.  David was prophet and king.  But no one could combine all these offices except The Anointed One (Messiah).  This was the Messianic expectation.  See Deuteronomy 18, Isaiah 9, Daniel 7, and Psalm 2 and 110.  Jesus perfectly reveals the Father to us, represents us before the Father, and rules us in God's righteousness.   

Amy Carmichael wrote convicting prose in her classic "If..." Much to reflect on from her life of service among the orphans of India.  Selections below, and the complete work is found here.   If I belittle those whom I am called to serve, talk of their weak points in contrast perhaps with what I think of as my strong points; if I adopt a superior attitude, forgetting "Who made thee to differ? And what hast thou that thou hast not received?" then I know nothing of Calvary love. If I can enjoy a joke at the expense of another; if I can in any way slight another in conversation, or even in thought, then I know nothing of Calvary love. If I do not feel far more for the grieved Savior than for my worried self when troublesome things occur, then I know nothing of Calvary love. If I feel bitter toward those who condemn me, as it seems to me, unjustly, forgetting that if they knew me as I know myself they would condemn me much more, then I know nothing of Calvary love. If

"We are not wise enough, pure enough, or strong enough to aim and sustain such a single motive over a lifetime. That way lies fanaticism or failure. But if the single motive is the master motivation of God's calling, the answer is yes. In any and all situations, both today and tomorrow's tomorrow, God's call to us is the unchanging and ultimate whence, what, why, and whither of our lives.  Calling is a 'yes' to God that carries a 'no' to the chaos of modern demands. Calling is the key to tracing the story line of our lives and unriddling the meaning of our existence in a chaotic world.” (Os Guinness, The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life )

Ann Voskamp to her son, as he prepares to leave home... The Bible’s true, son. Every infallible, sword-sharp, breathing word of it. Don’t let anyone ever rationalize one beautiful iota of it away. Love it because it’s your Life. The only life worth living is the one lost. Do it often: grab a lifeline by stepping offline. You’ll see your true self when you look for your reflection in the eyes of souls not the glare of screens. This is what you always need to know: You have nothing to prove to anyone – if you’re in Him, you are already approved. Be okay with not being liked: life’s about altars not applause. And be okay with not being seen or heard. It’ll let you hear and see better. And it’s the work of every child to fully forgive the parents. This is how it turns, the torch passing from one to the next. Read the complete post here .