Borrowed Light: Today in Blogworld 03/04-06

Mike Leake 3 Comments

Google is really popular. I love Google. I use Google. But I am sure that some/many of the folks at Google need Jesus. My heart was happy to hear of Tim Keller receiving the opportunity to preach the gospel at the Google HQ. Justin Buzzard was there and blogged on Keller’s message. What an awesome opportunity, I pray that the Holy Spirit preached the gospel to their hearts. (HT: Challies)

Tim Bayly asks Where Have All the Father’s Gone? It’s a pretty good article and makes the way for really good discussion. Maybe all of the suggestions are not the best, but it is a great article. (HT: Jared Wilson)

C.J. Mahaney points to an address by Jeff Purswell. In it he gives a humbling and earth-shattering statement to those of us that preach the gospel, “You are a standing in the very stead of God”.

Eric Simmons has wonderful suggestions on how to pick a movie. His goal is to offer suggestions to help reduce these moments: “Have you ever had that really uncomfortable and convicting sense after watching a movie? You think, “Uh, that one might’ve been a mistake” or “I’m not so sure I should’ve watched that…”

Joshua Hitchcock of the Reformed Mafia gives us a great article and encouragement to not minimize the gospel. Great reminder of the Puritan culture and their refusal to minimize the gospel.

Tim Challies has a touching story about what it means to love our neighbor (even if they are a nuisance) without grumbling.

Is it possible to have masculinity without manhood? Albert Mohler comments on that question. I particularly like his closing statement: “We lie to ourselves if we believe that we can hold onto a healthy masculinity without honoring true manhood.”

Michael Patton asks a very important question, Can a Christian Theology Allow for Abortion?

In our guys Bible study we are studying the Book of Job. A great question that comes out of that would be, how could I have joy if I had the afflictions of Job? C.J. Mahaney attempts to answer that question, Finding Joy in Adversity.

Calvinists beware! Many of us across the blogosphere have our ears open for the rumblings of the upcoming John 3:16 Conference. Tom Ascol throws the first challenge, encouraging us to listen and not get our tulips all ruffled. Nathan Finn also joins the conversation, here.

Perry Noble gives 5 things you should never hear from a staff member.

John Piper makes a clarification on a statement he made at The Resurgence. What is his view on Arminians in education? Find out here.

Should I find this funny?

The Mystery of Providence Chapter 13

Mike Leake

This final chapter in Flavel’s work is more of an epilogue to an impressive work, than a chapter that stands on its own. It is simply Flavel’s plea for us to keep a record of our experiences of providence. You can not help but sympathize with Flavel’s sentiment, when he says, “For [lack] of collecting and communicating such observations, not only ourselves, but the Church of God is greatly impoverished.”

What a gold mine it would be to have stacks upon stacks of letters and diaries of many saints of old. The church has been greatly blessed by the letters of such men as Samuel Rutherford and John Newton. I cannot help but wonder the storehouse of information, experiences, and graces are robbed from the Church because of our lack of journal keeping.

What is Chapter 13 about? Simply this, do not trust your slippery memory, write down the workings of Providence, and don’t be so foolish as to think that your present trial is greater than the ones in the past.

I’m going to go keep a journal now…

How to See in the Midst of Darkness

Mike Leake 2 Comments

How may a Christian work his heart into resignation to the will of God when sad providences approach him and forebode great troubles and afflictions coming on towards him?

I know that I am supposed to trust God. But how do I do that when everything is so dark? When I am in the middle of despair, how do I trust a God that I can barely see? What do I do when I do not see the light at the end of the tunnel but only glimpses of more trouble and anguish? This is the question that will close Chapter 12.

Flavel knows his Bible. He reminds us that we cannot resign our hearts to do anything. You get the idea that he formed this question, and then begins to tear it down a little. On the heart Flavel says, “We cannot resign it, and subject it to the will of God whenever we desire so to do.” It is indeed our duty, but Flavel reminds us that Jesus said apart from Him we can do nothing. Not some things. Nothing!

Clearing up this Flavel journeys towards answering the question; but he has one more stop to make. We must become like David in 2 Samuel 15:25-26. “And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city; if I shall find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back again, and show me both it and his habitation: But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee: behold here am I, let him do to me as seemth good unto him”. Until we have that attitude, says Flavel, we will “have no peace within”. We must come with such submission to the Lord that says, “do with me as seems good to You”. Now come the suggestions for us to consider:

  • Labor to work into your hearts a deep and fixed sense of the infinite wisdom of God and your own folly and ignorance
  • It is nothing but our pride and arrogance over-valuing our own understandings that makes resignation so hard
  • Deeply consider the sinfulness and vanity of torturing your own thoughts about the issues of doubtful providence
  • Set before you those choice Scripture patterns of submission to the Lord’s will in as deep, yea, much deeper points of self-denial than this before you, and shame yourselves out of this quarreling attitude with Providence
  • Study the singular benefits and advantages of a will resigned up and melted into the will of God
  • Think how repugnant an unsubmissive attitude is both to your prayers and professions

Return to The Mystery of Providence Chapter 12