Learning Experiences 3

Not sure if I am even going to post Learning Experiences 1 & 2 yet.  The whole reason that I wanted to post them was to give this post some context.  So in case I don't, here is a sufficient dose of context I think.  I have been going to an intense trial for several months with far reaching implications.  I am totally not prone to discouragement, pessimism, or depression.  But I think that I was depressed for the first time ever last week (or maybe still am).

Anyway, as I was wallowing in my self-pity, searching for something, some kind of help or freedom, I came across a CD of sermon jams.  For those of you who do not know what they are, they are clips of sermons that people preach, that other people think are good, that those other people cut out, set to music (usually more of the rap genre, which I do not prefer, which is why I don't listen to sermon jams much, but I guess when you are depressed, you try things you don't normally try) and put on a CD.

I did this while I was reorganizing the church library.  And one of these tracks, despite what my daughter described as "creepy" music, had a really good message that helped me.  I have since found that it hasn't helped others as much as it helped me, but it might help you.  So, I am just passing along something that I found that helped me.  And if you can get by the creepy music, maybe it will help you too.  It is an iTunes audio clip, so if I can get it up here, check it out.  I will also link it to my Dropbox file, if you do Dropbox.  And here it is on YouTube.  It's good.

Here is the link or clip.

Thanks for reading (or listening)

Brainerd's visit to Susquehanna in May 1745

He (David Brainerd) is grateful to be able to stand after 2-3 days of being virtually bedridden because of his illnesses (early stages of tuberculosis). In fact he counted it a joy that he could sit up for half a day and meditate on one verse of Scripture (Psalm 17:15). We count it an inconvenience when our allergies bother us. We call in sick to work when we get a cold, and don't ever even think about having to stay in an Indian hut for a week so our bowels will stop gushing blood enough to ride a horse a couple hundred more miles to preach a few more times. Here is what Jonathan Edwards wrote about his visit to Susquehanna to preach. It was so inspiring as I read it this morning, I thought about how fragile and weak we are in our day.

The next day he set out on his journey to Susquehannah, with his interpreter. He endured great hardships and fatigues in his way thither through a hideous wilderness; where, after having lodged one night in the open woods, he was overtaken with a northeasterly storm, in which he was almost ready to perish. Having no manner of shelter, and not being able to make a fire in so great a rain, he could have no comfort if he stopped; therefore he determined to go forward in hopes of meeting with some shelter, without which he thought it impossible to live the night through; but their horses — happening to have eaten poison [for want of other food] at a place where they lodged the night before were so sick that they could neither ride nor lead them, but were obliged to drive them and travel on foot; until, through the mercy of God, just at dusk, they came to a bark hut, where they lodged that night.

After he came to Susquehannah, he traveled about a hundred miles on the river, and visited many towns and settlements of the Indians; saw some of seven or eight distinct tribes; and preached to different nations, by different interpreters. He was sometimes much discouraged, and sunk in his spirits, through the opposition that appeared in the Indians to Christianity. At other times, he was encouraged by the disposition that some of these people manifested to hear, and willingness to be instructed. He here met with some that had formerly been his hearers at Kaunaumeek and had removed hither, who saw and heard him again with great joy.

He spent a fortnight among the Indians on this river, and passed through considerable labors and hardships, frequently lodging on the ground, and sometimes in the open air. At length he fell extremely ill, as he was riding in the wilderness, being seized with an ague, followed with a burning fever, and extreme pains in his head and bowels, attended with a great evacuation of blood. He thought he would perish in the wilderness. But at last coming to an Indian trader’s hut, he got leave to stay there; and though without physic or food proper for him, it pleased God, after about a week’s distress, to relieve him so far that he was able to ride.

He returned homewards from Juneauta, an island far down the river, where was a considerable number of Indians who appeared more free from prejudices against Christianity than most of the other Indians. He arrived at the Forks of Delaware on Thursday, May 30, after having ridden in this journey about three hundred and forty miles. He came home in a very weak state and under dejection of mind, which was a great hindrance to him in religious exercises. However on the Sabbath, after having preached to the Indians, he preached to the white people, with some success, from Isaiah 53:10, “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him.” Some were awakened by his preaching. The next day, he was much exercised for want of spiritual life and fervency.

Lord, I pray that you get us a missionary heart like his. And I pray that you get us the determination to for fulfill our ministry with the same passion as him.

"My Son is Gay, So...

...all the people that I represent in Ohio who used to want me to uphold traditional marriage, now want me to vote for marriage privileges to be extended to people of the same sex."

It's amazing how people in a representative, democratic republic switch their opinions on a whim!  Senator Rob Portman, however, as a professing Christian, is unfortunately, but fairly representative of believers who change the practice of their faith because of the circumstances within their family.

I don't want to take the time to redo what others have already done so much better than I can do anyway.  So, let me point you to the important links so you can get the stories.  Portman's original reversal here. You can read the Baptist Press Article about it here.  But probably the best piece on how we should interpret and think through this topic with the proper language and perspective comes from the "Ask Pastor John" segment of Desiring God's ministry here.  The reason it is important is that he explains how the arguments used of 1) everyone deserving the right to be happy, 2) happiness=what I desire, are swaying Christians into the trap that Sen Portman has fallen into, and is now leading others down into; not based on biblical revelation or conviction, but on experience and emotion.  Piper's response will only take 5 minutes of your time.

I am going to blog about or recent trip back to Maine to celebrate our church plant's 10 year anniversary, but time escapes me now.  So I wanted to send this link. 

I listened to an awesome message yesterday by David Platt, and I hope that you will find time to listen to it, watch it, download it, whatever you do with sermons...  It's called "The Dangers of Worldly Desires" and it was preached in October of 2012 as part of his exposition of Revelation.  Powerful!

On the Radical website here
On iTunes here

Hope it is helpful to you

Feasting with Friends

I was reading this morning from David Brainerd's diary, the entry from April 26, 1745. A statement that he made in that entry struck me, and caused me to think about the gratefulness that I have to God for people in my life. He said,

"Just in the evening was visited by a dear Christian friend, with whom I spent an hour or two in conversation, on the very soul of religion. There are many with whom I can talk about religion; but alas! I find few with whom I can talk religion itself: but, Blessed be the Lord, there are some that love to feed on the kernel, rather than the shell."

This made me begin to count the people in my life, that I could sit down with and really poor my soul out to. I am a pretty vulnerable person most of the time, and am usually willing to share what's on my mind and heart. But the number of people that I could really let loose with completely is few. And I guess we are all that way. I doubt that this is peculiar to me.

I wouldn't dare to list those people on this post. I'm sure that I would forget someone, and they might be hurt that forgot them. But all that having been said, I am truly grateful for those of you who are those people to me. Some of you are dear friends that I see often; some are family; and some are friends from a long time whom I don't hear from often, but when I do, the same sort of intimacy returns.  I owe you a great debt.

I hope that we all have friends like that.  Thank you, Lord, for mine!  Help me to be that kind of friend to others.

Brainer-d

As some of you know, I often read David Brainerd's diary as a source of devotion, inspiration, and motivation to continue to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering.  This morning I was reading John Piper's series called The Swans are Not Silent, which are derived from his biographical studies of the heroes of faith.  This one dealt with the lives of John Bunyan, William Cowper, and David Brainerd.  There are always nuggets of gold to be found in these studies, and here is one, which is actually a quote from Jonathan Edwards as he reflected on the witnessing of the last 19 months of Brainerd's life and subsequent death at 29 years old from tuberculosis.

"I would conclude my observations on the merciful circumstances of Mr. Brainerd's death without acknowledging with thankfulness the gracious dispensation of Providence to me and my family in so ordering that he ... should be cast hither to my house, in his last sickness, and should die here: So that we had opportunity for much acquaintance and conversation with him, and to show him kindness in such circumstances, and to see his dying behavior, to hear his dying speeches, to receive his dying counsels, and to have the benefit of his dying prayers."

Two things affected me about this.  First, a contextual note; Edwards thanked God for His allowing Brainerd to die at his home for the reasons he mentioned, EVEN THOUGH it probably cost him his daughter, Jerusha.  She had been Brainerd's nurse for the last weeks of his life.  She died of tuberculosis four months after Brainerd.  He noted, "It pleased a holy and sovereign God to take away this my dear child by death on February 14th ... in her 18th year."  It sent chills up my spine to think of the calmness, resolution, and even thankfulness for God's providence in this situation.

Secondly, an impression about the content of this quote.  The impact that Brainerd had on Edwards and his family in just short of five months seemed HUGE.  Thanking God for getting to know him, for the opportunity to care for the sick, for the testimony of the grace given him to die well in faithfulness and satisfaction in Christ, to hear his dying words, wisdom, and prayers.

May it be said of us; may we die well; may people be blessed in watching us die well...

No-Brainer?

Just a couple of thoughts that are on my mind regarding gun control this morning. Sorry to turn political, not my usual. Obviously, there could be a lot more said on the subject, just a thought I had a today to add into the mix that I thought may be logical. I also realize that on both sides of this debate, logic doesn't always prevail. Just a simple thought, nothing more, nothing less...

I read an article this morning on Fox News that talked about a Maine legislator who is proposing a bill to allow teachers in schools to carry concealed weapons. There were, I thought, a lot of wise restrictions on this proposal. If you want to read the full article you can click here. His premise was that criminals and psychopaths are probably not going to obey new gun laws and tighter restrictions. So the only way to help schools be safer, is to help them not be defenseless. I like his logic, but I know some folks don't. But here's my thought,

Let me draw a parallel between gun-control and illegal immigration: Most gun-control proponents who would restrict firearms further, make an assumption that I don't think is accurate. They assume that tighter restrictions will reduce the number of guns to a level that would make a significant difference in gun crime. With the number of guns out there today, this is not good logic. Here is the comparison to illegal immigration. There is no way that we could actually get rid of illegal aliens. Complete and total deportation is not a viable option. I am not saying this is what I would do if I could, just drawing a parallel for comparison. And if someone proposed this, most people would realize the idea is ludicrous. The situation is similar, to propose that restrictions would significantly reduce gun crime is kind of ludicrous, because there are so many out there.

I didn't know this, but i found out that AR-15 rifles are the number one selling gun in the US. And there are so many people, unlike me, whose wives have allowed them to have one. There is no way gun restrictions can eliminate those that are already out there. People are not just going to hand over their weapons. And criminals will find a way to get them.

The lifespan of most modern firearms is a long time. The only way restrictions like this could even begin to help is in about 50-100 years. And then it's questionable. Gun restrictions on particular firearms, will not help. Find another way.

And just one more thought this morning that is semi-related.  I also read an article covering a breaking story in NM where a teenager killed his family.  I really think that the media doesn't help matters when they stop everything, and focus all their attention on the shooter and shootings.  They inadvertently glorify the whole incident, the shooter, and the means.  If they would ignore it, teens and other psychopaths wouldn't see the path to immortality here on earth so easily.  Instant glory, the whole nation thinks of you when you kill people.  You go from nobody to somebody overnight.  I wish the media would have a brain too.  Not my original thought, you can find the source of it for me on this video (excuse the language).

And just by the way, like Charlton Heston said, "out of my cold dead hands!"