What are we doing wrong with The Book?

“Statistics show that most people professing faith in Christ have never completely read their Bible. Many people start reading but then become overwhelmed by the number of chapters (1,189) and verses (31,102) there are. What we don’t realize is that it can be accomplished by reading fewer than four chapters a day!

By dividing the Bible into 365 daily readings, your goal of reading the Bible in a year can easily be accomplished. Here in Bible Study Tools, not only can you come and read on a daily basis, but we can help you chart your progress online over the following 365 days. That means you don’t have to wait till the New Year?you can start today!”

I have been feeling extremely contemplative about the Bible the last week or so – if that makes sense. I had a small, but convicting discussion with a friend – where we chatted about how excited people get about any book they have enjoyed, EXCEPT the Bible. Why does no one rave about their reading in Isaiah?

I have been thinking about why I know that if it were “the only book I could bring on a deserted island” (we’ve all played that game, right?) it would be the Bible. And yet, why am I not delighting in it everyday?

I have to be honest – I have gobbled up four books in the last two weeks – all good books, all “spiritual” books, but I still have not finished 1 Corinthians that I started late last week. Why is that? I love it once I am in to it, why do I put it off? I think there are a few reasons; I suppose these are personal reasons – maybe you can think of more.

1. It’s going to convict.
One of the things I struggle with, in my own personality, is the willingness to deceive myself, to not have to deal with things. I layer my problems, and my feelings, and my thoughts, sometimes intentionally, in order to be less accountable to myself. Which is, of course, being deceived by Satan – because God knows even our motives, and I will be held accountable for even this on the last day. But the point is – the Bible is the only book that demands change. I can be convicted by other books on pride, or marriage, or being a friend – but can ultimately dismiss anything I don’t like as the author’s opinion. Once I open up the Bible, I sense change coming… and I resist. I could get in to why the pleasures of God would be greater than all the things I substitute in its place – but I’ll save that for another blog. Or refer you to one of my first – it’s all about mud puddles. Suffice it to say – the Lord wants to change us, to conform us to the image of His Son – and we know what that looks like when we open up the Bible – not other books.

2. Our approach.
What other book do we approach with a bare-minimum mentality? Seriously – the quote on the top of this page essentially says – “here’s how you can read the LEAST amount possible, and still get through the Bible in a year.” What kind of benchmark is that? What other book have you read, where the goal is to take a year to get through it? And yet – we have it in our heads that the Bible is meant to be enjoyed at 15 minute intervals once a day, every day. We want to space out our readings. And, I think the problem with this is it just joins our checklist of to-dos. Washed dishes? Check. Did a load of laundry? Check. Made the beds? Check. Read my daily reading of the Bible? Check. We don’t go to it because we delight in it, we go to it because we should go to it. And we all know that the results of doing things because we ought to are very different than doing things because we want to.

I am uncertain at this point as to how best address this in my own life. I think it starts with a bit of a mental shift – I have to repent of the desire to not want to be changed, and I have to approach the Bible as the Book, not the greatest devotional ever written….

 

Causing my brother to stumble

For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols. And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. 1 Corinthians 8:10-13

Seriously?  Go without meat, rather than upset the Christian next to you?  Isn’t that his problem?  If he doesn’t like my steak, he can eat somewhere else.  He is “the weaker” brother after all – and needs to grow a backbone.  Perhaps read his Bible more.  Bottom line – not. my. problem. 

At least, that is how we often think of it these days, isn’t it?  I struggle enough with going without things in my own life, for my own sake, never mind for someone else.  I might give up Halo if it is impacting my walk with God, but does it really occur to me to give it, or something else up, for the sake of my brother in the Lord?

I think a couple things are foundational to our just not getting this concept.  Foremost is how little we really understand what it means to be the body of Christ.  My causing someone else to sin is actually sin on my part – sure Adam and Eve played the blame game, and we all know you aren’t supposed to do that.  But we are, in a sense, responsible for leading our brothers astray.  And, because he is part of the same body that I am a member of, I hurt the Head – that is, I am sinning against Christ.

I think we also miss how few rights we actually have, or even if we do have them (all things are lawful to me), how little we should act on them.  It but rarely occurs to me to deny myself pleasure.  I just try to enjoy it in moderation.  Whether it is apple crisp, or beer, or yet another shopping trip – I simply don’t say no.  As Bunyan reminds us, we ought to “Live upon God that is invisible,’ not only because God is superior to sinful pleasures, but also because He is superior to sacred ones as well.”  (Bunyan/Piper – The Hidden Smile of God)  Superior to sacred pleasures.  There is nothing I could give up, for the sake of unity of the body, that would not be worth the superior pleasure of delighting in God.  I want to live like that.  Willing to forsake everything in this life – if it means not leading the guy next to me in to sin.  I certainly can not do it in my own strength – but He is more than willing to answer this cry. 

 

The Theology of the Bible is not the theology of The Shack.

Again, I am amazed at how applicable any discussion about this book is. That is – I think I am done with it, and it shows up again.  I have had two friends this week tell me they were reading it, and ask me if I have heard of it/read it.  I gave the short answer.  And, I would not harp on this book so much, except that the number of visitors on my site coming because of this book is actually quite high.  That, and I have just finished a delicious book – that I believe better reflects the Bible’s revelation of God’s part in our suffering.

John Piper has written a series of autobiographies, and the second one is on Cowper, Bunyan, and Brainerd.  These men knew suffering.  And their understanding of God in their suffering is much different than the modern (post modern?) Christian’s.

The Shack would say: 

Mack: “But I still don’t understand why Missy had to die.”
God: “She didn’t have to, Mackenzie.  This was no plan of Papa’s.  Papa has never needed evil to accomplish His good purposes.” 

And Bunyan would say:

“Learn to pity and bewail the condition of the enemy… Never grudge them their present advantages. ‘Fret not thy self because of evil men.  Neither be thou envious at the workers of iniquity.’  Proverbs 24:19. Fret not, though they spoil thy resting place.  It is God that hath bidden them do it, to try thy faith and patience thereby.  Wish them no ill with what they get of thine; it is their wages for their work, and it will appear to them ere long that they have earned it dearly… Bless God that thy lot did fall on the other side…. How kindly, therefore, doth God deal with us, when He chooses to afflict us but for a little, that with everlasting kindness He may have mercy upon us.  Is 54:7-8″

And:

“It is not what enemies will, nor what they are resolved upon, but what God will, and what God appoints, that shall be done… And as no enemy can bring suffering upon a man when the will of God is otherwise, so no man can save himself out of their hands when God will deliver him up for His glory… We shall or shall not suffer, even as it pleaseth Him…. God has appointed who shall suffer.  Suffering comes not by chance, or by the will of man, but by the will and appointment of God.”

Bunyan took his theology on suffering from the Bible.  Look at the following passages:

Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?  Exodus 4:11

The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will.  Proverbs 21:1

Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come? Lamentations 3:38,39

The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. 1 Samuel 2:6,7

Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. 1 Peter 4:19

How I wish people better understood this! There is such comfort in knowing the suffering in this life does not happen apart from God’s plan! It is not as though God could have done something, but did not, nor is it that He could not do anything about it – save bring it all to good at the end. It is ALL in His sovereign will.

I know I struggle most with this because I do not see my “suffering” as true suffering. Being martryed? That’s suffering. Having a daughter that is frustratingly sick this week? Part of being human. Having an uncle pass away, or a Grandpa – also being human. And yet, in our easy society, suffering does not always come much more difficultly. I say not always – because I know the burdens people around me carry are heavy. There are strained family relationships. And dealing with addictions. And dealing with deaths. And infertility. And all sorts of loss. I am seeking with Bunyan, with Cowper, with Brainerd to look at it all as a suffering that comes from God, for the purpose of refinement and glorifying God. That I might delight Him in how I respond to headaches and sick kids, and deaths and the plethora of daily struggles…..

 

what I say. what she hears.

Trin:  “Where did Daddy go?  To the firehall?”

Me: “No.”

Trin:  “Oh. To work?”

Me: “No.  Daddy went to do an NHL Draft.”  (I realise this is not the proper way to speak of these things – but this is a three year old I am talking to.)

What she heard was: “Daddy went to do a giraffe.”  I know this because her response to me was:

“Oh.  And a zebra??”

 

Deception.

There are a bunch of us girls who are going to start on the book and study guide “Lies women believe” this week.  If you know me at all, the very fact that the word “woman” is on the cover makes this an unlikely choice for me.  The average author of women’s Christian workbooks seems to have in mind parenting advice, balance, or how to be a good wife or homemaker when they plan books for women.  We have looked at 1 John in the past (a poor attempt on my part – which I will rectify when the kids are in school more), Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper and Respectable Sins by Bridges….

The author is addressing something very interesting in this new book – Eve was deceived.  And so are we.  Often by ourselves.  I am becoming aware of the times I re-label something, in order to make it okay.  Case in point.

I was relaying to my friend Raquel that I have this tendency to walk around the house, letting everyone know that I am grumpy about the fact that I have to __________________.  It usually involves having to do something for someone else, when I wanted to do something for myself.  It is not the best attitude.  At all.  And I call it my “martyr” attitude.  Raquel, in all her God-given honesty said “that’s not being a martyr, that’s being the victim.”  She has no idea the nerve she hit. 

I can’t stand victims.  (I’m not talking about the people who have survived serious calamity)  I mean the type of person who, no matter how many times you explain to them their fault in a situation, they never get it.  You try and reason with them, and all they get out of the conversation is how mean you were to them.  They never see how their actions impact others.  Drives me NUTS.  And Raquel called me one. 

At this point, I am no longer decieved.  It is a touch uncomfortable.  As long as I was “being the martyr” I was okay with my behavior.  I may not have been cheerful in all I was doing (slight understatement), but maybe that was just because I was doing so many wonderful things for my family.  Or friends…. or whomever.  And she takes the rug out from under me.  I’m being the victim???? 

It is amazing, really, how just that simple twist on the words has impacted me in the last week.  And, I know it is a representation of all the other things we improperly label, in order to continue in sin.  Even our society does it – adultery is renamed – you’re having an affair.  You’re not an alcoholic, you have a drinking problem.  I can see, especially in light of my conversation with a friend, how absolutely necessary it is to call sin for what it is.  To identify it as God does, not label it the way Satan, or the world does.  That we might not be decieved, nor decieve ourselves.  That we might attain victory over sins in our lives, by recognizing them for what they are.

 

Being brought back to THAT point

“The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.”  And he did not recognise him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands.  So he blessed him.  He said, “Are you really my son Esau?”  He answered, “I am.”….. 

Jacob was left alone.  And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day…..  But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”  And He said to him, “What is your name?”  And he said, “Jacob.”  Genesis 27:22-25, 32:24-27

 

Then [Peter] began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.”  And immediately the rooster crowd.  And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”  And he went out and wept bitterly.”…..

[Jesus] said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?”  Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love me?”….    Matthew 26:74,75 and Mark 21:17

 

My thoughts are not particularily cohesive – but Ravi in the book “Can Man Live Without God?” brought up the first instance, which put me in mind of the second.  Both instances involve grievous sins – Jacob, stealing the blessing of his brother, from his blind father.  And Peter, who denies his Lord three times before he realises what he has done.  I do not get the impression Jacob felt too badly.  Peter was clearly distraught at his own sin.

How like us – sometimes premeditated, like Jacob.  Sometimes repeated, like Peter.  Thrice he denies Christ….  And yet, look how God chooses to respond.  Days later, or perhaps years later – God brings them, us, back to that breaking point.  He calls Peter over, and bears to his mind the three times he denied Christ, by asking three times if Peter loved him.  Peter is crushed.  God does not always coddle us, to teach us.  And Jacob, in the remainder of the text, seems to understand that it is God he wrestled – because He does nothing more than ask Jacob his name when he asks Him to bless him….  Did not his father Isaac do the same?  Is God not recalling to his mind the last time he was asked the same question?  Jacob leaves that place a new man.  With a new, God-given name. 

I am uncertain of the application.  I think so often we stuff the darkness in our hearts deep down.  I think perhaps though, God treats it like a serpent’s venom – He draws it up to the surface – it’s painful, and yet the remembering of our sinfulness, our weakness, our failings is where we can find healing.  The raw reminder of our betrayals – for sin is just that – a betrayal against our Lord, our Husband, our King – is necessary.  Jacob could not become Isreal without first dealing with his betrayal.  Peter could not become the rock the church was built on, without first dealing with his denial.  Let us not fear dealing with our own sins, even long done deeds, in order to become the children of God we were called to be.

 

still here

Brad is on vacation. Which means I do not get to the computer a whole lot. Which is why I have not been blogging. Just one more reason I am looking forward to next week – I am CRAVING consistency, and a schedule, at this point….

When my Mom tucked my kids in to bed at night on Wednesday, she asked the boys what they would like to pray about. Levi requested that “no more people die” and has since prayed himself that “no one in his family would die”. He seems to think if Brad and I go, he’ll need new parents. Which, according to a four year old, might not be so bad because then he can “do whatever I want to”. Rebellion is inbred in us, is it not?

 

Luxury Sins

My good friend Raquel introduced me to this term. I love it. I hope I do not butcher the definition (but at least I know you will correct me if I do! ) but the basic idea is that there is a whole lot of crap that we allow to happen, especially between one another, that simply would be forgiveable non-essentials if we were in more dire situations.

This idea has really struck me – in the recent passing of my grandfather, and now my uncle. Over the course of the last few weeks I have found myself increasingly zealous to not allow relationships to deteriorate over the “small stuff” in life. My bond with my family has definately strengthened – over the hours in the car, on the phone, in funeral homes… Through tears and grief, and sorrow… As my Dad firmly reminded us to allow one another to grieve in our own ways without judgment… Some of my family can’t bear to be in the same room as the caskets… I find myself strangely unable to walk away. I did not want to let go, and I lingured…. We are so different in our grief.

And yet, while my family has pulled together – there are still smaller things that get magnified. Emotions are HEIGHTENED, and we all snap far too quickly. I want to say that I live relationships with no regrets. But it is hard. Hard to maintain the intensity one finds in sorrow. Hard to remain vulnerable (if there was ever something I suck at doing – this is it). My sister accuses me, rightly, of being the brick wall that no one knows how to console…

But I wonder – where do we go from here? What do we cling to, about one another, in the hurting moments? Are we really, actually going to allow name calling and miscommunication to break down family? And friendships? Are these luxury sins? Would they matter – do they matter – in the face of death?

I am contemplating the phrase in Hebrews: “Strive for peace with everyone”. What does that mean for me? At this point it means remaining neutral. And loving. At this point it also means apologizing – for allowing my own luxury sins to get in the way of relationships with sisters in Christ. At this point it means setting aside my own hurts, and bearing others’ burdens. At this point, it means really, really investing in the people around me that matter the most to me – of getting my life in the right order of things…..

I want to face my own death knowing I did strive for peace with everyone. It is easier to be mindful of in light of recent sorrows – may I not indulge myself in the luxury sins that so easily rob us all of the beautiful relationships we have been given….

 

This I know.

I was watching “America’s Got Talent” last night. Not my favorite show – but things are a little crazy in life right now, and I was happy to veg… Which is an aside, I suppose. The point is – they were narrowing things down to the top 40 acts. And so many of the ones that got cut, you wanted to stay in, because you liked the person, or their story…. I wanted the 71 year old singer to make it. I wanted the guy who just came back from fighting to make it. I wanted the 17 year old kid who twirls batons but always got made fun of to make it…. These people have been hurt, alot, and you feel for them….

It struck me though. How deeply, painfully, so many go through life. I know too many people who open up to me – whose hearts are broken, or breaking, or going to break. So very many who have aches and pains we do not see. And it really struck me. It is ALL of us. I am guarding my heart of late. I do not open up easily to begin with – and certainly not to those who are too hurt to help carry my own burdens. But, as I struggle at times to find those who can pause to listen – I realise there is no one who does not already grieve that I can share with.

It is an opening for the Gospel. For, God alone can make sense of the grief. God alone can heal broken hearts. Many of those who Have suffered, that I know, have also overcome remarkable things. Things that would break many of us. It is by His grace, and by His mercy.

I trust that, despite my own pains, or what-have-yous, that people know my door is always open. My heart is always open to listen. I do not know how else to help. I do not know how to better show that I DO care. I want to carry your burdens. I want to feel your pains, and cry your tears. I want to be a shoulder to cry on… May God be glorified in our desire to be a blessing to one another….

 

The Shack.

This is not the first time I have posted regarding this, although if you are a regular reader on here, finding my page on The Shack is a little obscure. It’s under book quotes I think (see, I don’t even know how to find it : )

I am re-responding to this, because the amount of accusations I have come up against surprises me. I am forever caught off guard at how personally people respond to my comments – about why I consider the book dangerous. I think the reason for that is the fact that it is an emotional book. And, it makes people feel things, and not just think things. And, when our emotions are engaged – then it is personal for us. Which makes it something we want to defend personally. It is NOT personal for me. I do not pick it apart for personal reasons. I have made an issue of it, because I believe the book has many dangerous teachings, and I think people need to see where the doctrine errs from the Bible. It doesn’t make me popular.

My concerns with the arguments presented to me are that they usually involve the author being a nice person, about me being an angry blogger who has nothing better to do, and a general sense of anyone who dissects a book doctrinally clearly does not love people very well.

The greatest irony I see is that people on one hand want to challenge me because “It’s just fiction” all the while talking about how much the book has helped them – in their ability to deal with suffering, in their understanding of who God is. It can not be both. If it is impacting your perception of God, it’s not “just fiction” any more. Regardless of the author’s intents.

I am concerned that while the publishing company says “This book flatly states that all roads do not lead to Jesus” it goes on to say that “while some of that was in earlier versions because of the author’s partiality at the time to some aspects of what people call UR…” There was some editing done, to tone down the concept of UR (ultimate reconciliation – or Christian universalism). It is NOT a matter for me of looking under every rock to find errant doctrine. It’s a matter of seeing it when it is there.

I think that The Shack is a symptom of our times – and I will stick my neck out and say I believe it represents what is becoming the most dangerously influential false understanding of God and the Bible in our generation…. What is happening right now is a redefinition of all things theological in the light of “God is love”. This is becoming a foundational framework by which all other truths are being examined. And it is detrimental to our understanding of God, and His motives and our relationship with Him, His relationship to us, and His relationship within the Trinity.