my life as an adverbial suffix

What Christmas is All About

Lee — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 04:35:27 +0000

My favorite scene! Since Linus is quoting the KJV, here’s a link to the text in KJV: Luke 2.

Have a wonderful Christmas, gentle reader; I pray that you soon learn the true meaning of Christmas if you do not already know Him!

Keep Yourselves From Idols

Lee — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 20:33:07 +0000

O God, You are my God;

Early will I seek You;

My soul thirsts for You;

My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land

Where there is no water.

–Psalm 63:1 (NKJV)

I started memorizing Psalm 63 yesterday. I’ve loved this passage for many years, and it’s been on my list of passages to memorize for quite a while. As I was meditating on the first verse while walking Buster early yesterday evening, I realized that there’s another way to look at that verse. No doubt David was drawing upon his circumstances and compared His longing for God to being in the arid wilderness to which he had been forced to flee – and in that comparison, he paints a very clear picture of the desire of a man after God’s own heart. And with that picture in the background, whenever I have pondered this passage, I have mostly thought: “Someday, I’ll long for God in that way. Someday I’ll seek after Him like I would for a drop of water after being stranded in a desert for a few days.” Because, if I’m honest, I don’t often feel that kind of urgency in my pursuit of God.

However, what if David is also indirectly describing the state of our hearts in general? Isn’t our default state one where we hunger and thirst after fulfillment and purpose? It’s just that we are so designed that we can only be truly satisfied in this life if we have the proper object for that hunger and thirst – the only one and true God. The problem for those who do not follow Christ, therefore, is not having any relationship with God to begin with, choosing as objects with which to satisfy that hunger and thirst the things of this world: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the boastful pride of life. And the problem for those who do follow Christ is, well, persisting in seeking after the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life…

Therefore, it is not so much the attaining of some rarified degree of sanctification or holiness that enables one to feel such the urgency David describes in this Psalm, but the stripping away of our desires for the lesser things which cloud our view of God. Sometimes we are able to strip away these things on our own (though never in a way that is not empowered by the Spirit! See Romans 8:13); sometimes it takes varying degrees of loving divine discipline.

You might think that there is just some sort of semantic difference between drawing a negative (subtracting idols – or Lewis’s “mud pies” [1]) vs. positive (“adding holiness”) view of this passage – but I think the distinction is a useful one, and one that will help me, at least, to not think that David is describing something out of my reach. Indeed, I already have this longing within me – I just aim it at the wrong objects all too often.

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John 5:21

[1] “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
— C.S. Lewis (Weight of Glory and Other Addresses)

Oh Give Thanks!

Lee — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 20:18:01 +0000

Psalm 118 (ESV)

1 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” 3 Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” 4 Let those who fear the LORD say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” 5 Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. 6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? 7 The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. 8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. 10 All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! 11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! 12 They surrounded me like bees; they went out like fire among thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! 13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. 14 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. 15 Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly, 16 the right hand of the LORD exalts, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!” 17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD. 18 The LORD has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD. 20 This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it. 21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.23 This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD. 27 The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar! 28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. 29 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

This Was Grace

Lee — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:24:03 +0000

Just a quick pointer to a recent post of the same title by Chris. It contains a short video which will grip your heart.

Actually, one more thing – the hymn “Light Shining out of Darkness” (a.k.a., “God Moves in a Mysterious Way”) by William Cowper:

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs
And works his sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purpose will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
the bud may have bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain:
God is his own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

The Point of the Gospel

Lee — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:30:58 +0000

I’ve watched this little clip, courtesy of my friend Chris, a few times now.

It seems to just get more powerful each time I watch it.

I’ve heard from numerous people that Matt Chandler is well worth listening to, but up until this video, I never took their advice. I’ll definitely be listening in the future!

The Meaning of All Misery

Lee — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:11:52 +0000

“Therefore, the meaning of all misery in the world is that sin is horrific. All natural evil is a statement about the horror of moral evil. If you see a suffering in the world that is unspeakably horrible, let it make you shudder at how unspeakably horrible sin is against an infinitely holy God. The meaning of futility and the meaning of corruption and the meaning of our groaning is that sin — falling short of the glory of God — is ghastly, hideous, repulsive beyond imagination.

Unless you have some sense of the infinite holiness of God and the unspeakable outrage of sin against this God, you will inevitably see the futility and suffering of the universe as an overreaction. But in fact the point of our miseries, our futility, our corruption, our groaning is to teach us the horror of sin. And the preciousness of redemption and hope.”

- John Piper, “Subjected to Futility in Hope, Part 1” (sermon preached at Bethlehem Baptist Church on April 22, 2002)

HT: OFI

Whew – heavy!

These paragraphs precede the above quote – it might help if you find the conclusion difficult to digest. Actually, it turns out the OFI guys took out the “Therefore,” from the above quote (which I put back in). I think a little more context helps:

“It is amazing how many Christians are so desperate to remove God from the suffering in the world that they are willing to become “deists” in order to keep God out of the equation. A deist was a person who thought of the universe as created by God and then set apart like a clock to tick on its own with no divine interference. Everything was explained in terms of merely natural laws, not divine decrees.

The saints of God have not gotten comfort from that vision. It is not a biblical vision. The biblical vision is given in verse 20: “The creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope.” The miserable condition of the world today – its futility and corruption and groaning – are owing to the judicial decree of God in response to sin.”

Finally, here’s the conclusion of this sermon:

“[D]on’t overly personalize your suffering. Don’t assume that this is some particular punishment or result of a particular sin. Search your heart in the time of pain. Let it make you serious and vigilant and humble. But don’t add misery to misery that is not intended. The whole creation groans. It is a general divine decree on the whole world. And Paul’s point is: even the precious children of God must suffer with Christ in it.

So let us humble ourselves and take our share of suffering with patience and hope. Because we consider with Paul that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us.”

Of course, it very well might be the case that we sometimes do reap the consequences of sinful behavior or even thoughts (which can work themselves out in subtle ways in our behavior) – God does promise to discipline His children, after all. And there are natural consequences to some sins – C.S. Lewis’s illustration of falling on the ice when you don’t exercise wisdom comes to mind. But I think Piper’s words are encouraging in the sometimes all-too-frequent instances in life where one might be tempted to search for a specific “reason” for something horrible happening in your own life or in the life of someone you love.

Leaning upon Christ

Lee — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:18:11 +0000

“Everything that a man leans upon but God—will be a dart which will certainly pierce his heart through and through. He who leans only upon Christ—lives the highest, choicest, safest and sweetest life.” – Thomas Brooks

HT: OFI

I’ve been thinking a lot about this quote since I first saw it a few days ago. There’s so much truth and wisdom here! (I love the first comment for it, so do click on the OFI link.) Of course, the “safe” life spoken of here might just be the “safe” life of Paul, or Stephen - the life foretold for us by Christ. But a safe life – one hidden with Christ in God - nonetheless.

By His stripes we are healed!

Lee — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:43:22 +0000

Isaiah 53:1-12 (NKJV)
1 Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
9 And they made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
10 Yet it pleased [was the will of] the LORD to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.
11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.

Shuffle on over to Danny’s blog…

Lee — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:57:03 +0000

… subscribe, and you’ll be entered into a contest to win a free iPod Shuffle! See here for details. But don’t just do that – Danny has a lot of thought-provoking and challenging things to say over on his blog, so do some reading while you’re over there!

“Behold, I make all things new!”

Lee — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 20:03:06 +0000

OFI has a great quote from Spurgeon here. It’s about finding your joy in Christ, the only source of all lasting joy. Note that I’m not saying that you can’t find joy in things here on earth… Far from it. You can find a short-lived joy in the things of the world, which do not satisfy (see Ecclesiastes, or any believer whom God has chastened because of their love for the things of this world). You can also find real joy in things received from Christ while on this earth – such as your spouse – things received from and blessed by Him.

If you haven’t already, may you begin to find lasting joy in Christ this year! It is worth all that you have and are in exchange.