Homeward Bound

I have been reading through the book of Hebrews: a rich study if ever there was one. I cannot help but marvel in the goodness of God in sending Jesus Christ to us and giving us these New Covenant blessings we now enjoy through His mediation. Here are some brief thoughts on Hebrews 12:18-24, a beautiful portion: 18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come...

The book of Genesis is as raw as they come. We see the whole wheelhouse of man’s depravity exhibited throughout this introductory book: murder, deceit, adultery, incest, envy, pride. All manner of wanton wickedness is laid bare for the modern reader to see. There is also the corresponding judgment on the part of God against those made in his image. There is the expulsion from Eden, there is the worldwide flood, the confusing of the languages, the fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah. In this primal setting all pretenses are put aside and the true natures of things are laid bare. God is holy and mankind is lost in the effects of sin and death. While much of the plan of God is still hidden in the dim light of early revelation, we nevertheless see aspects of God’s character that should cause us to wonder at His goodness and grace. There is the promise for redemption after the fall through the seed of the woman, the provision of the ark for Noah and the animals, the calling of Abra...

2020 thus far looks like something out of a dystopian novel. We have been in various stages of quarantine and shutdown due to COVID19 since March. Riots mirroring revolutions of a former era are taking to the streets. The city of Portland looks like Falujah. The government appears to be enjoying flexing muscle to see just how far they can go in the name of public health and safety. All of these are ominous indications of what is to come. Bear in mind we have an election this year as well. As Christians there is always bad news it seems. Prominent figures "de-convert" with frequency. Christians everywhere are being taken up with the latest cultural political movements. A Supreme Court ruling LGBT discrimination from businesses to be unconstitutional looks to be disastrous for churches and schools that wish to remain orthodox. And our nation is still aborting hundreds of unborn children every day in the name of choice.  In light of all this, I am so encouraged. This past Sunday...

I ran across this from Thomas Manton’s sermon on Psalm 119:1. I thought I would share: "But now you must know, there is a twofold keeping of God's testimonies--legal and evangelical. Legal keeping is in a way of perfect and absolute obedience, without the least failing; so none of us can be blessed. Moses will accuse us; there will be failings in the best. But now evangelical keeping--that is, a filial and sincere obedience is accepted, and the imperfections Christ pardoneth. If God's pardon help us not, we are forever miserable. The apostles had many failings; sometimes they manifested a weak faith, sometimes hardness of heart, sometimes passionateness when they met with disrespect, Luke 9; yet Christ returns this general acknowledgment of them when he was pleading with his Father, 'Holy Father, they have kept my word.' When the heart is sincere, God will pass by our failings, James 5:11, 'Ye have heard of the patience of Job.' Ay! and of his impatience ...

It is common today to look at our culture and our world, and despair that things are bad. "Look how far we our nation has fallen," we cry. "Look how feeble and worldly the church has grown." The temptation is the same temptation of the people of God throughout history: the temptation to make what is presented to our immediate senses greater than our God.  We are not so much different from the Israelites in the time of the Exodus. For years I have marveled at the seeming idiocy of the people. What other generation witnessed more incredible acts of God than the plagues and the parting of the red sea? Time and time again they saw with their very eyes the supernatural hand of God. And with all of that in their recent memory, when finally on the door step of the promised land they somehow are filled with despair: "There we saw the giants; and we were like grasshoppers in their sight." How could anyone, after witnessing what that generation witnessed, doubt...

I made another video about what to do when we experience wayward emotions. How are we to keep them in check? I talk about Psalm 42 and 74, and how they are examples of "taking yourself in hand" and pointing yourself to the truth.  We don't have to fake it until we make it, nor do we have to resign ourselves to our all-powerful emotions. We can combat them with truth and force them into proper alignment. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WfLwN5_-eyg

I found this from C. S. Lewis in Perelandra when the narrating character runs into an angelic-like being: I felt sure that the creature was "good," but I wasn't sure whether I liked goodness so much as I had supposed. This is a very terrible experience. As long as what you are afraid of is something evil, you may still hope that the good may come to your rescue. But suppose you struggle through to the good and find that it is also dreadful? How if food itself turns out to be the very thing you can't eat, and home the very place you can't live, and you r very comforter the person who makes you uncomfortable? . . . Here at last was a bit of that world from beyond the world, which I had always supposed that I loved and desired, breaking through and appearing to my senses: and I didn't like it, I wanted it to go away. We all assume to be well-received by the "goodness" of that "world beyond the world" when we finally make contact. This is d...