A Girl's Perfect Day

Blessed day with my girls....and two new blessings to add to my list.

(Okay three blessings, cause I love the humongous bouquet of roses with light blue and sagey green hydrangeas that my daugher arranged)

But first I scrubbed our back deck preparatory to staining it and gave two rhodies severe butch haircuts. Marauding blackberry vines stretched the rhododendron bushes out of proportion, hence the hacking back. I was very brave to tackle this, as this was the-very-area where I saw a snake a couple of weeks ago. I would have felt better in hip-waders; snakes are ungodly. (I think I need to share my snake poem with you. Future blog post.)

But then the siren song of Stratford Tea House called and off we girls went. Picture warm Italian villa colors with flowered tea pots. A perfect girly place. My tea cup was a luscious lime green with pink roses. I begged for that one - very grown up of me. Scones with jam and Devonshire cream, Hungarian mushroom soup, flowered pots of ginger-peach tea and Russian Caravan tea. We imbibed and indulged and giggled our way through the tasty treats. (Blessing number one)

Then the girls talked me into shopping at Old Navy. Why is shopping such a panacea for all that ails a girl? I once asked Chris if it was unchristianly to adore shopping. Thankfully he just chuckled and didn't give me any black and white answer. Don't YOU either. I bought a wild redish orangish top and a feminine lacy-edged peach cardigan. Who wouldn't feel better, I ask you. (Blessing number two)

I'm almost done reading "Holiness" by JC Ryle. There is a chapter near the very end called something like, "Understanding the Times." It has challenging and convicting words for us. Listen to this for starters:

"The man who is content to sit ignorantly by his own fireside, wrapped up in his own private affairs, and has no public eye for what is going on in the church and the world, is a miserable patriot, and a poor style of Christian. Next to our Bibles and our own hearts, our Lord would have us study our own times." (ouch)

The section that stood out to me was where he elucidated on the fact that the times require at our hands distinct and decided views of Christian doctrine. Listen to his eloquent and colorful language as he passionately speaks to this topic:

"...beware of this undecided state of mind in religion. It is a pestilence which walketh in darkness, and a destruction that killeth in noonday. It is a lazy, idle frame of soul which, doubtless, saves men the trouble of thought and investigation; but it is a frame of soul for which there is no warrant in the Bible...."

"For your own soul's sake dare to make up your mind what you believe, and dare to have positive distinct views of truth and error. Never, never be afraid to hold decided doctrinal opinions; and let no fear of man and no morbid dread of being thought party-spirited, narrow or controversial, make you rest contented with a bloodless, boneless, tasteless, colorless, lukewarm, undogmatic Christianity."

"Mark my words, if you want to do good in these times, you must throw aside indecision, and take up a distinct, sharply cut, doctrinal religion. If you believe little, those to whom you try to do good will believe nothing...."

"Christianity without distinct doctrine is a powerless thing. It may be beautiful to some minds, but it is childless and barren."

Oh, I love the solid truth of Scripture - the forever-settled-in-heaven truth that God has given us. And I love these old time authors who are passionate about truth and challenging to this generation where we are tempted to be wishy-washy and tolerant to all views, and can tend to be uncomfortable with dogmatism. Bible truths are worthy of a strong stance and firmly held beliefs.

Where Is Your Faith, Part 1

[Excerpts from Martin-Lloyd Jones’ amazing book Spiritual Depression.]

There is a difference between the original gift of faith and the walk of faith, or the life of faith, which comes subsequently. God starts us off in the Christian life - and then we have to walk it. The faith He provides is part of our tool chest for life; He’s given us everything we need for life and godliness. (2 Pet.1:3)

Jesus and His disciples were at sea in a boat. Jesus fell asleep and a storm arose that frightened the disciples. They rushed to awaken Him - don’t you care that we are about to perish? Jesus rebukes the wind and raging water and calms the sea. And then, “He said unto them, ‘Where is your faith?’” (Lk.8:22-25)

He rebukes them for being in such a state of agitation and terror and alarm. It is very wrong for a Christian ever to be in such a condition. I do not care what the circumstances may be, the Christian should never be agitated, the Christian should never be beside himself like this, the Christian should never be at his wit’s end, the Christian should never be in a condition in which he has lost control of himself.

A Christian should never, like the worldly person without Christ, be frantic, alarmed, not knowing what to do. A Christian should not look like the world does when going through a trial - coming undone, falling apart, totally freaked out. We are not meant to be carried away by our feelings - whatever they are. These disciples were lacking in self-control. They needed to get a grip on themselves and their runaway feelings.

Anything that comes across our path and puts us in difficulty, at once shows whether we believe in Him and trust in Him, by our response and reaction to it. We must never allow ourselves to be agitated and disturbed whatever the circumstances because to do so implies a lack of faith, a lack of trust, a lack of confidence in our blessed Lord and God.

Scripture is full of examples of ‘the trial of faith.’ Take the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. Every one of them was ‘tried.’ God gives the gift of faith and then the faith is tried. Tested. “Though you are in heaviness for a season” because of certain circumstances, the object of that is “that the trial of your faith which is more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet.1:6-7) That is the theme of all the Scriptures.

Our faith will be tried. God permits storms, He permits difficulties, He permits the wind to blow and the billows to roll, and everything may seem to be going wrong and we ourselves to be in jeopardy. As His people we are not protected from all ‘the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.’ Not at all. We are living in the same world as everybody else.

“In the world,” says our Lord, “you shall have tribulation but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (Jn.16:33) “Be of good cheer” - yes, but remember that you will have tribulation. “…we must through much tribulation enter the Kingdom of God.” (Acts14:22)

You observe our Lord’s question: Where is your faith? It seems to imply that He knows perfectly well that they have faith. The question He asks them is, “Where is it?” You have got faith - but where is it at this moment? It ought to be here - where is it? That gives us a key to understanding the nature of faith.

Faith is not a mere matter of feeling. It couldn’t be, as one’s feelings in this kind of condition can be very changeable. Faith is also not something that acts automatically or magically. If it did, these men would never have been in trouble, would never have been agitated and alarmed. But faith is not like that.

Faith is an activity. It is something that has to be exercised. It does not come into operation by itself. Where is your faith means, “Why are you not taking your faith and applying it to this position? To this circumstance? To this trial?”

Faith is a refusal to be controlled by the situation. Faith is a refusal to panic, come what may. Browning’s definition of faith: Perpetual unbelief kept quiet. Faith is unbelief kept down, kept quiet. These men allowed the situation to grip them; they became panicky. Faith, however, is a refusal to allow that. It says - I am not going to be controlled by these circumstances - I am in control. So you take charge of yourself, pull yourself up; you control yourself. Then remind yourself of what you believe, what you know. Remind yourself of truth.

Faith says, okay - I see the billowing and raging storm - BUT. But what? But God! But the Lord Jesus Christ! All things may seem against me to drive me to despair, but I know this - I know that God loves me and sent His Son to die for me.

Where is your faith? - You have got it, why don’t you apply it, why don’t you bring all you know to bear on this situation, why don’t you focus it on this particular problem? Nothing can happen to you but what He allows. God permits that thing to happen to you because it is ultimately for your good.

Having applied your faith - you then hold on. You just refuse to be moved. The enemy will come and attack you, the water will seem to be pouring into the boat - but you say, let the worst come. You stand on your faith. You stand. You believe. You rest in God.

And in the midst of this, your faith is purified. It is established. It is stretched and strengthened and proven true.

The King's Own Face, Pt 2

"HOLINESS" by JC Ryle

As I continued reading, I came to Ryle's wonderful words about how Jesus treated His disciples, and I decided to add that to my search as I read through the gospels. Jesus is a lovely Savior - so perfect in how He lives and handles the people around Him. We have a perfect example to follow, a perfect spiritual Mentor in Christ. Be encouraged, not only in the kind of Savior YOU have, but in following the example He sets of how we should treat one another.

"The whole of our Lord's conduct towards His disciples on earth deserves close consideration. It throws a beautiful light on the compassion and longsuffering that there is in Him. No master surely ever had scholars so slow to learn their lessons as Jesus had in the apostles. No scholars surely ever had so patient and forbearing a teacher as the apostles had in Christ. "

"At no time of our Lord's ministry did they seem to comprehend fully the object of His coming into the world. The plainest words and clearest warnings from their Master of what was going to befall Him seemed to have had no effect on their minds.... But what do you see in our Lord's behavior towards these disciples all through His ministry? You see nothing but unchanging pity, compassion, kindness, gentleness, patience, longsuffering and love. He does not cast them off for their stupidity. He does not reject them for their unbelief. He does not dismiss them for ever for cowardice. He teaches them as they are able to bear. He leads them step by step, as a nurse does an infant when it first begins to walk."

"He cares for the least member of His body, as well as for the greatest. He cares for the babes of His family as well as the grown-up men. All are in His book of life, and all are under His charge. All are given to Him in an everlasting covenant, and He has undertaken, in spite of all weaknesses, to bring every one safe home. Only let a sinner lay hold on Christ by faith, and then, however feeble, Christ's word is pledged to him: 'I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.' He may correct him occasionally in love. He may gently reprove him at times. But He will never, never give him up."

"That same Lord and Savior who bore with the disciples is ready and willing to bear with you. If you stumble, He will raise you. If you err, He will gently bring you back. If you faint, He will revive you."

Wow. Again, what a beautiful Savior we have in Christ. So, as I venture forth to study the gospels, I want to have eyes to see deeply how Christ loved and walked with His little beloved flock. It will be comforting to see, on my own behalf, and inspiring to be challenged onward in my love for the flock of God that I personally rub shoulders with in life. Onward.

The King's Own Face

"HOLINESS" by JC Ryle

"It would be well if professing Christians studied the four gospels more than they do. No doubt all Scripture is profitable - But I think it would be good for some who are very familiar with the Epistles, if they knew a little more about the Gospels....Because I want Christians to know more about Christ. It is well to be acquainted with all the doctrines and principles of Christianity. It is better to be acquainted with Christ Himself...to be familiar with Jesus Himself, to see the King's own face, to behold His beauty."

"Four different inspired hands have drawn the picture of the Savior: His ways, His manners, His feelings, His wisdom, His grace, His patience, His love, His power, are graciously unfolded to us by four different witnesses! Surely we cannot know this Christ too well! Surely there is not a word, nor a deed, nor a day, nor a step, nor a thought in the record of His life, which ought not to be precious to us. We should labor to be familiar with every line that is written about Jesus. Come now, and let us study a page in our Master's history!"

So, herein lies my heart's desire to read the gospels again starting right now - a lovely way to begin my summer. And in doing that, I like to have a particular 'way' to read through the gospels; a particular plan. The last time, I wrote down everything I observed about Jesus and who He is and how He acted and treated sinners He rubbed shoulders with on His life journey. I wanted to keenly and carefully see, with eyes of faith, my precious Savior. That was much fun.

This time the Lord has laid on my heart to take chunks of the gospel as I come to them in my chronological reading and s-l-o-w way down and meditate on what is revealed therein about Christ. Lately I've been convicted and challenged by the Lord to take the time to meditate and to chew over the Word. Usually I read, read, read, covering ground, rather than taking that precious time. My goal is to take a passage that highlights an event or story in the life of Jesus, and, like the great Puritan writers, I aim to carefully mine the treasures, digging deep.

Wanna join me?

Standing for Truth

During our family devotions we are reading out loud through “A Body of Divinity” by Thomas Watson, who was a Puritan writer. This book was written in 1692. What I love about the Puritan writers is their broad, sweeping grasp of the Word as well as how they can dissect verses, mining and digging out precious treasures, bringing gems to the surface for all to admire for their beauty.

This book takes the Westminster Shorter Catechism, “in which the main principles of Christianity that lie scattered in the Scriptures are brought together and set forth…” Practically devotional, the expounded truths are so lovely and draws one inexorably towards Christ. A book to feast on….

Where we are currently reading, Watson is expounding on the umpteen ways we glorify God, and I loved this one about truth. It related so beautifully to my last blog post.

Enjoy.

“We glorify God, by standing up for His truths. Much of God’s glory lies in His truth. God has entrusted us with His truth, as a master entrusts His servant with his purse to keep. We have not a richer jewel to trust God with than our souls, nor has God a richer jewel to trust us with than His truth. Truth is a beam that shines from God. Much of His glory lies in His truth. When we are advocates for truth we glorify God. Jude 3, “…contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.” The Greek word to contend signifies great contending, as one would contend for his land, and not suffer his right to be taken from him; so we should contend for the truth.”

Biblical Self Talk

Are you in control of yourself? Or are you driven along by feelings, emotions, fears, worries and concerns? It is actually an indulgence to allow yourself to sit down at the table of your own private pity party…looking only to the doldrums and to your own discouraging circumstances.

There are times in our lives when we would do well not to listen to the messages we are telling ourselves. In times of depression or fear or worry we can have lies roiling and boiling around in our heads. Or maybe we have temperament tendencies that lead us into negativity, pessimism, doubt, despair, and over the years have built quite a repertoire of broken record messages that we fall into and allow to lead us around by the nose.

I want to share an amazing truth that has significantly made a difference in my life and walk with the Lord, and I learned it from the book 'Spiritual Depression' by Martin Lloyd Jones.

The truth is this: Learn to take yourself in hand. Don’t be content to lie there and commiserate with yourself, but do something about it, like the Psalmist in Psalm 42:

“Why are you downcast, Oh my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
For I will yet praise Him,
Who is the health of my countenance
And my God.” Vs 5,11

He talks to himself. He turns to himself and says, ‘Self - why are you downcast? Why are you so disquieted?’ We must talk to ourselves instead of allowing ‘ourselves’ to talk to us! Much of our unhappiness in life is due to the fact that we listen to ourselves instead of talking to ourselves.

This man’s soul has been depressing him, crushing him. Self will always drag you down if it is in control; don’t placidly listen. So the Psalm writer stands up and says: ‘Self, listen for a moment, I will speak to you.’

Lloyd-Jones says that the main art of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, exhort yourself, upbraid yourself and say, ‘Hope in God!’ - instead of huddling down in a puddle of misery.

Instead lift your eyes and your face to the face of Christ and feast on Him by speaking truth TO yourself. Remind yourself of what you know to be true:

He is the sure anchor of my soul.
Jesus loves me.
He works all things for good - bar none.
All His ways are lovingkindness and truth.
I have a secure future hope.
His Word is true no matter how I feel.
In my weakness He is strong.
He purchased and sealed me in salvation.
I am a precious child of God.
He is the Way the Truth the Life.
He is the anchor for my soul in the storms of life.
He is able.

"Holiness" by J.C. Ryle

One of my desires with this blog is to encourage the reading of deep spiritual books. We can benefit so much from investing time and effort in many of the older authors, especially. They had a rich walk with God and a devotion to Him that sparks my own affections for God to grow. And boy do they know the Word. May these authors whet your appetite to grow and to fall more deeply in love with your Savior and may you be encouraged to live and walk in a more holy manner as a result.

First published in 1879, J.C. Ryle laments a lack of practical holiness in his day. He says this: "I have had a deep conviction for many years that practical holiness and entire self-consecration to God are not sufficiently attended to by modern Christians in this country. Politics, or controversy, or party spirit, or worldliness, have eaten out the heart of lively piety in too many of us. The subject of personal godliness has fallen sadly into the background. The standard of living has become painfully low in many quarters. The immense importance of 'adorning the doctrine of God our Savior' and making it lovely and beautiful by our daily habits and tempers has been far too much overlooked.... Sound doctrine is useless if it is not accompanied by a holy life. It is worse than useless: it does positive harm...it is my firm impression that we want a thorough revival about scriptural holiness."

He assures us that justification and regeneration are the works of God in our life, but where there is no sanctification, there is no regeneration, and "where there is no holy life there is no new birth. Sanctification is the only certain evidence of that indwelling of the Holy Spirit which is essential to salvation."

So, it matters how we live. How we live demonstrates who we are. You have to DO certain things to be a certain kind of person. Conversely, you have to BE a certain kind of person to do certain things. So as new creatures in Christ, as believers, there is a way of living, of holiness, that results because of WHO we are. He says, "I fear it is sometimes forgotten that God has married together justification and sanctification...one is never found without the other." And this book thoroughly addresses that topic in a deep and spiritually uplifting manner.

I feel utterly inadequate at this book review thing. How can I attempt in a small paragraph or two to indicate the rich and rewarding words of truth and encouragement that await you? I find myself unable to do this book justice without just flat quoting the whole thing. So here is a wee bit more....

He presses on all converted people the possibility of continual growth in grace, and the absolute necessity of going forward, increasing more and more, and every year dedicating and consecrating ourselves more, in spirit, soul and body, to Christ. He says that true holiness "does not consist merely of believing and feeling but of doing and bearing.... Our tongues, our tempers, our natural passions and inclinations; our conduct as parents and children, masters and servants, husbands and wives, rulers and subjects; our dress, our employment of time, our behavior in business, our demeanor in sickness and health..." all of these things are minutely treated in Scripture with regard to our holiness.

I wasn't up very many hours the other morning before I blew it with my mouth. Words came out that 'stinketh' to high heaven. I felt wounded and offended - and out flew words that revealed my fleshly heart. A little later I read my Bible, and God took a big yellow highlighter and underscored a verse for me. (Isn't that sweet?)

"Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees." (Ps.119:5) Steadfast. Sigh. Verse 6 says, "Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands."

Lord, make me steadfast in obedience, holy in all my behavior, bearing fruit in every good work, increasing in the knowledge of God, steadfast in pursuing You. May it be said of me like verse 3, "They do nothing wrong; they walk in His ways."

It is because I am weak and falter and fail that I run, not only to God's holy Word, but to deep spiritual books, to feed and nurture my soul and draw me higher in my walk with Him. Praise God that the work He began in me He promises to continue and perfect. That gives me great comfort and hope. So, in the reading of this book 'Holiness', I hope to do due diligence in my pursuit of Him. Come join me.