The Moat of His Protection

God is our Refuge, our Strength, our Mighty Fortress. Nothing will get by the moat of his protection without his permission. To be afraid of what happens today or what may happen tomorrow is not only an awful waste of energy, it is not only useless, it is disobedient. We are forbidden to fear anything but the Lord Himself...Will power, of course, will not always overcome human emotions. But willed obedience to the One who is in charge, coupled with prayer for his help in vanquishing our natural fears, is something else.

~ Elisabeth Elliot

Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.

~ Philippians 4:6-7 (CEV)

More Wisdom from a Humanist

More words from Ken Ham in The New Answers Book 1...

Huxley made the point that if we are to believe the New Testament doctrines, we must believe the historical account of Genesis as historical truth. Huxley was definitely out to destroy the truth of the biblical record. When people rejected the Bible, he was happy. But when they tried to harmonize evolutionary ideas with the Bible and reinterpret it, he vigorously attacked this position.

More words from Thomas Huxley...

I confess I soon lose my way when I try to follow those who walk delicately among "types" and allegories. A certain passion for clearness forces me to ask, bluntly, whether the writer means to say that Jesus did not believe the stories in question or that he did? When Jesus spoke, as a matter of fact, that "the Flood came and destroyed them all," did he believe that the Deluge really took place, or not? It seems to me that, as the narrative mentions Noah's wife, and his sons' wives, there is good scriptural warranty for the statement that the antediluvians married and were given in marriage: and I should have thought that their eating and drinking might be assumed by the firmest believer in the literal truth of the story. Moreover, I venture to ask what sort of value, as an illustration of God's methods of dealing with sin, has an account of an event that never happened? If no Flood swept the careless people away, how is the warning of more worth than the cry of 'Wolf' when there is no wolf?

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

~ Matthew 24:36-39

Even a Humanist Sees It Clearly

First, a little history lesson.

Thomas Huxley was a humanist who lived during the time of Darwin and, in fact, became known as "Darwin's bulldog" because he did more to popularize Darwin's ideas than Darwin himself. He wanted to tear down Christianity at every turn; and as theologians of his day compromised the authority of Scripture by adding a belief in millions of years and evolution to the Bible, Huxley used that compromise against them.

In Ken Ham's words...

"What was Huxley's point? He insisted that the theologians had to accept evolution and millions of years, but he pointed out that, to be consistent, they had to give up the Bible totally. Compromise is impossible."

~ Ken Ham,

in The New Answers Book 1

Here is a quote from Huxley himself, written about 113 years ago; and hopefully that background info will help it make more sense...

I am fairly at a loss to comprehend how anyone, for a moment, can doubt that Christian theology must stand or fall with the historical trustworthiness of the Jewish Scriptures. The very conception of the Messiah, or Christ, is inextricably interwoven with Jewish history; the identification of Jesus of Nazareth with that Messiah rests upon the interpretation of the passages of the Hebrew Scriptures which have no evidential value unless they possess the historical character assigned to them. If the covenant with Abraham was not made; if circumcision and sacrifices were not ordained by Jahveh; if the 'ten words' were not written by God's hand on the stone tables; if Abraham is more or less a mythical hero, such as Theseus; the Story of the Deluge a fiction; that of the Fall a legend; and that of the Creation the dream of a seer; if all these definite and detailed narratives of apparently real events have no more value as history than have the stories of the regal period of Rome--what is to be said about the Messianic doctrine, which is so much less clearly enunciated: And what about the authority of the writers of the books of the New Testament, who, on this theory, have not merely accepted flimsy fictions for solid truths, but have built the very foundations of Christian dogma upon legendary quicksands?

~ Thomas Huxley,

in his essay "Lights of the Church and Science"

Your word is truth.

~ John 17:17

The Purpose of Marriage

I never know where I'm going to find a bite of spiritual food. This evening, for example, I was reading the newspaper (something I do only when my mother cuts out articles and gives them to me) and discovered this gem.

The goal of our life should not be to find joy in marriage, but to bring more love and truth into the world. We marry to assist each other in this task. The highest calling is that of the man who has dedicated his life to serving God and doing good, and who unites with a woman in order to further that purpose.

~ Leo Tolstoy,

in a letter he wrote

This reminds me of another quote I appreciate:

A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.

~ Maya Angelou

The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

~ Genesis 2:18

Marriage can be wonderful--truly a precious part of life. But if the reason for marrying is selfish, just so I will be taken care of and have my needs met, disappointment will inevitably come. How much better to work together with my spouse to bring glory to God and accomplish His purposes on earth!

All I Want

I've loved this song since the first time I heard it. What a beautiful way to express my heart's cry.

Earth has nothing I desire besides you.

~ Psalm 73:25

But Joshua...

One of my favorite verses, not only because of the inspiration I get from the intimate connection between God and Moses, but also because of the tremendous example Joshua sets through his devotion to being in the presence of the Lord...

The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

~ Exodus 33:11

For the Glory of God

Living for the glory of God is living to enhance God's reputation on the earth.

~ Jay Adams

from Back to the Blackboard

quoted in Home Educating Family magazine,

2010 Issue 1

Not to us, O Lord, not to us

but to your name be the glory,

because of your love and faithfulness.

~ Psalm 115:1

Put On the Right Clothes

Nuggets of truth and inspiration continue to pop up from Colossians. Here's another one...

Only certain costumes suit Christians. To be otherwise dressed is inappropriate.

Put on the garments that suit God's chosen people, his own, his beloved: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience (Col. 3:12 NEB).

Put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 13:14 RSV).

You have all put on Christ as a garment (Gal. 3:27 NEB).

You must put on the new nature of God's creating (Eph. 4:24 NEB).

You have discarded the old nature with its deeds and have put on the new nature (Col. 3:10 NEB).

Put on love (Col. 3:14 RSV).

The clothes we wear are what people see. Only God can look on the heart. The outward signs are important. They reveal something of what is inside. If charity is there, it will become visible outwardly, but if you have no charitable feelings, you can still obey the command. Put it on as simply and consciously as you put on a coat. You choose it; you pick it up; you put it on. This is what you want to wear.

Do you want to dress like a Christian? Put on Christ. The act of honest obedience--the fruit of love for Christ--is your part. Making you Christlike through and through is his part.

~ Elisabeth Elliot

from A Lamp for My Feet

Be Ye Separate

At the homeschool convention we recently attended, we were handed literature by a number of organizations as we wandered through the exhibit hall; and at the time, I didn't even glance at some of what we were given. Yesterday, however, I was sorting through a tote bag full of papers and so forth and discovered a small publication called Reaching Out, apparently published by the Pilgrim Mennonite Conference (about whom I know nothing, but am guessing it to be a fairly conservative group). One of the articles was written by a Lester Troyer and is entitled "The Case for Separation." It begins...

Biblical separation is possibly the most neglected teaching in Christianity today, especially in the West. Through sheer neglect (or unbelief), the life of the Christian is reinvented as being a mere statement of belief apart from any change of life, or relationship to a world of ungodliness. The Gospel is reduced to this: "One accepts Jesus into his heart. God forgives. Heaven is sure. That's it." But nothing has changed. The new Christianity does not usher in the divine grace of transformation that breaks the old sin patterns and brings forth a life ordered by God. Instead, it has invented a divine blindfold, where God no longer sees the sin of the Christian.

But God is not mocked. Heaven is reserved not for those who merely profess Jesus as Lord, but for those who do the will of the Father in Heaven. Salvation results in single-minded devotion to God, producing a separation from the world and the powers of darkness. Separation is the principle whereby Christians live "in the world without being of the world."

Later in the article, he quotes from a message Billy Graham preached in 1987 at a missions conference in Urbana, Illinois. Graham said:

We have moved in with the world and allowed the world to penetrate the way we live. So things we used to call sin are no longer sin. Things that we would have abhorred a few years ago, we accept as matter of fact today, not realizing that they offend a holy God....We act as if it doesn't really matter how we live or what we think or say because God will forgive us anyway.

He concludes with these verses:

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

~ 2 Corinthians 6:17-18

This article hit home because of the ache in my heart for holiness. Where is the individual, where is the congregation, that realizes without a doubt that it is only through God's grace that we are being saved, but that also desires and practices holiness in response to God's great love and mercy? Where is the shepherd who is willing and bold enough to call his flock to repentance without instituting legalistic rules that supposedly safeguard the sheep but in reality lead to bondage? Practically, how can I come out from among the world and be separate, while still making an impact on those who so desperately need to see a flesh-and-blood "little Christ"?

Whatever You Do, Don't Turn Your Back

As I look back over the giants of faith, all had one thing in common: neither victory nor success, but passion...God's favorites responded with passion in kind. Moses argued with God so fervently that several times he persuaded God to change plans. Jacob wrestled all night and used trickery to grab hold of God's blessing. Job lashed out in rage against God. David broke at least half the Ten Commandments. Yet never did they wholly give up on God, and never did God give up on them. God can handle anger, blame, and even willful disobedience. One thing, however, blocks relationship: indifference. "They turned their backs to me and not their faces," God told Jeremiah, in a damning indictment of Israel.

From the spiritual giants of the Bible, I learn this crucial lesson about relating to an invisible God: Whatever you do, don't ignore God. Invite God into every aspect of life.

For some Christians, the times of Job-like crisis will represent the greatest danger. How can they cling to faith in a God who appears unconcerned and even hostile? Others, and I count myself among them, face a more subtle danger. An accumulation of distractions--a malfunctioning computer, bills to pay, an upcoming trip, a friend's wedding, the general busyness of life--gradually edges God away from the center of my life. Some days I meet people, eat, work, make decisions, all without giving God a single thought. And that void is far more serious than what Job experienced, for not once did Job stop thinking about God.

~ Philip Yancey,

May 29 in Grace Notes

They say to wood, "You are my father,"

and to stone, "You gave me birth."

They have turned their backs to me

and not their faces;

yet when they are in trouble, they say,

"Come and save us!"

~ Jeremiah 2:27

They turned their backs to me and not their faces; though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline.

~ Jeremiah 32:33

The Fear of the Lord

Yesterday at a ladies' brunch at church, the speaker, Sylvia, spoke on fear; and during part of her talk, she contrasted a healthy fear of the Lord with unhealthy fear of other things. She read these verses:

He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress,

and for his children it will be a refuge.

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,

turning a man from the snares of death.

~ Proverbs 14:26-27 (NIV)

These verses came back to my mind last evening as we dealt with a snake on our property; and in the midst of my own fear, I saw terror in Josiah, David, and Tobin. I saw clearly the challenge to, even in the midst of such a frightful situation, point them to God, help them to fear (respect) Him, and find their security in His character. I need to learn to do this more and more, too; and I pray that as I grow in this, my sons will as well. My fear of the Lord can be a refuge for my children!

But I have a choice. Who will I fear? Either I fear the Lord, or I fear everything else.

In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence.

~ Proverbs 14:26a (KJV)

Kicking Against the Pricks

At our potluck last evening, Jeff discussed Acts 9--the first part of it, anyway. This verse stood out to me:

It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

~ Acts 9:5 (KJV)

It is hard for you to kick against the goads.

~ Acts 9:5 (NKJV)

It is dangerous and it will turn out badly for you to keep kicking against the goad [to offer vain and perilous resistance].

~ Acts 9:5 (Amplified Bible)

I think the reason it hit my heart is because I've found it difficult recently to feel confident that I'm hearing God's voice clearly, particularly when it comes to which congregation we should become a part of. I don't want to kick against the pricks (it makes me wince just to think of literally kicking against a prick!), but it's a challenge sometimes to know in what direction the pricks are prodding me. If I knew for sure which direction we are supposed to be going, I'd be glad to speed up and not have to get pricked! But which direction is the right one?