With Pen in Hand..

Well, I am delighted to see that, according to one of Bro. Hank's last posts, there is now a viewership of well over 1 million people for this blog. Sorry for the extended absence. I've been away on the other side of the world in an undisclosed location the last couple of months and presently, as in the near future, I will be without a high speed connection. At any rate, though it seems almost unfair with Hank leaving town, I think I will jump into the 'Bondage of the Pill' debate on the other side of the slippery slope or perhaps just farther down. At any rate, it wouldn't be any fun at all to have everyone on the same side of the issue. However, given that I will have a few days until his return, I will probably make the opening post tomorrow or the next day so if any of the other contributors are planning to jump in, I would enjoy the company. I cannot resist making a few parting shots beforehand however..

As much as I love Luther and especially the satirical use of his classic in this thread I would not accept many of his beliefs without question. To say marriage is not meant for pleasure is in effect to deny Song of Solomon its canonicity (if that's a word) which in fact he may well have done. According to many scholars he roughly (and poorly) exegeted Psalms and history tells us he was not as skillful at handling beauty and love as he was at dealing with judgment and heresy. More on that later..

And to say the weight of scholarship and theological prowess in the nineteenth century and before is against birth control is undoubtedly the case, but I have not noticed in the introduction to this topic a discussion of the means of birth control utilized then and now. That may perhaps be of some account. In the time of Christ, I believe the only way to reduce the pain of many diseases was suicide.. now we have morphine.. Suicide does not find much support in Scripture and morphine isn't mentioned to my recollection, yet I do not see anyone picketing the drugstore (except the contraceptive aisle).

Anyway, more to come.

Peace in Jesus
EP

The Getaway and One of 'those' moments

Just a heads up for the million of faithful readers of "The Journeymen". I will be leaving civilization Saturday morning, for a six day trek out to Big Bend National Park. I will leave you in the competent hands of my fellow bloggers (NOBODY in particular...lol...get it?) I'm looking forward to a long car ride to catch up on some book reading, starry nights to ponder the 'immensity of God' (thank you Travis), and all in all, a chance to draw nearer to God. I thank you all for your prayers for our safe return, and look forward to finishing up our series on birth control (I think you'll want to catch this one).

Upon reading an awesome post over at SteppingInFaith.com, I was reminded of Revelation chapter 5. The first time I read that passage after I was saved, I had one of 'those' moments that change a person. It was as if I was standing there with John as he was starring up at the throne, and wondering about this book with the seven seals. I felt his pain and almost terror, that "no man was found worthy to open and read the book". And then, what rapturous delight! An elder puts a hand on our shoulder and points off in the direction of the throne..."behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof." Wow. What picture of victory! Behold! Behold! Behold! The Lion of the tribe of Judah! Ahh, what a glorious thought.

I thank God that Jesus 'keeps' us until that day. For, O what a day it shall be!

Bro. Hank
-----------
Revelation 5

1And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

2And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

3And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

4And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

5And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

6And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

7And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

8And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

9And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

10And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

11And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

12Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

13And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

14And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

Part II "The Bondage of the Pill" - A Hard Pill to Swallow

Okay, if you made it through 'Part I' relatively unscathed, then congratulations. As I reread it today, I found it was pretty difficult to follow my own train of thought, and when I finally got where I was trying to go, I switched tracks. Hopefully Part II will be a little easier to follow...

First let's clarify what we're talking about. Here is what Webster says about our terms:

birth - n. the emergence of a new individual from the body of its parent, the act or process of bringing forth young from the womb

control - v. to exercise restraining or directing influence over

birth control - n. control of the number of children born

While doing some research for this topic, I came across some Q & A from Desiring God (the ministry of John Piper) on the issue, which can be found here. They, like many church leaders today, take the stance that birth control is permissible in the Christian marriage if used under the correct assumption that children are a gift from God. They also state, "The Bible nowhere forbids birth control, either explicitly or implicitly, and we should not add universal rules that are not in Scripture."

Explicitly, I grant. Implicitly, I take issue with. If one looks at the entire biblical narrative of marriage and childbearing, you will find NO support for the use of birth control. That seems like it would be a big deal. But not for the pro-control crowd.

To the reformers, something with no biblical support was far from being included in their doctrine. Why should it be any difference for us? Do we need a "Thou shalt not close thine own womb" - to get the point across? You would think that we would get the idea, since time after time God blessed the barren with children, and they actually saw it as a blessing! It seems that since the wide-spread acceptance of birth control, we now see pregnancy as an interference in marriage, a mere sideshow to its 'real' purpose.

But many take this issue as one of 'moderation'. (That's right, I said moderation and I'm not talking about alcohol) They figure that since many gifts of God are to be enjoyed in moderation, why not children? Interesting argument, but that's about it. The true demarcation line is this:

Conception is the CREATION OF HUMAN LIFE.

No other material gift from God can be compared with it.

In simplest terms: life is not ours to moderate. We don't have the right to sit on the throne of human wisdom and decide when and when not, to have the possibility of creating human life. As A.W. Tozer once stated, "Just because you have the power to do something, does not mean you have the right to do it." We don't have the opportunity to choose our children's eye color, height, weight, skin tone, genetic peculiarities...so why should we venture to think we should be able to decide upon their creation? Arrogant, wouldn't you say?

Webster says that control is "exercising restraining or directing influence over" something. Hmmm....so we ascribe all else to Christ, but leave child bearing to our own discretion . "Oh", we say, "that must be our own decision!" We are the only ones with enough wisdom to know how to grow and manage a family, right? Nope, wrong again.

So am I saying that all types of birth control infringe on God's sovereign pleasure in creating life(as Piper would say)? Now you're getting it...

I'll close with two quotes:
The first from Pastor Matt Trewhella:
"If you were to list all the reasons why Christians use birth control, you would see that they are the same reasons why a woman aborts her child. The number one reason (according to all studies ever done) a woman aborts her child is because the child is an inconvenience. The child interferes with the mother's (or the father's) pursuit of happiness or possessions. When we use birth control, we are embracing the same anti-child mentality. We are saying that our pursuit of so called happiness, our pursuit of possessions, is more important than obeying God. The question is,"How can we abrogate God's design for marriage and expect to really be happy?"

In the Church today, we "warehouse" children. We don't want them around us during the church service. Many pastors are advising newly married couples to use birth control the first two years of their marriage so they can have time to get used to each other without having undue stress added to the marriage. The cause for abrogating God's command to "be fruitful and multiply," is the same as the cause for abrogating His command "you shall not murder" - self-centeredness! One of the main reasons why the Church has failed to act against abortion is because it embraces the same anti-child mentality as those who advocate the murdering of the helpless preborn.

We have no God-given right to manipulate God's design for marriage by using birth control. As long as we continue to make "possessions" and"self" our god and as long as we look at children as a diaper bill rather than a blessing, we will never see the Church act in mass against [birth control]. God help us to have His view of children and to obey His commands!"

And finally a quote by Sam and Bethany Torode:
"As married persons, our part is to remain open to children, by becoming one flesh and refusing to compromise that union....

But every time husband and wife come together, they ought to do so in earnest, in an open embrace, withholding nothing from each other -- including their fertility. By participating in marital relations, they should be indicating their willingness to accept whatever naturally follows; during the fertile times of a woman's cycle, this may include children."

Verses for Meditation:
Psalm 127, 128
1 Thess 4

Recommended readings:
The Bible and Birth Control by Charles Provan

Stay near your computer...I'll get that interview up someday.

Bro. Hank

"What if God meant marriage to make us holy, more than happy?" - C.S. Lewis

"Am I in God’s stead?" - Intro on Birth Control - Part I of "The Bondage of the Pill"

“…Martin Luther, considered it a sin "worse than adultery or incest" (Commentary on Genesis 38:10). Calvin and Wesley, as well as Protestant theologians like Spurgeon and Pink, all condemned birth control.” - Phil Bloom Seattle, WA September, 1996 (revised March 1998)

"the purpose of marriage is not pleasure and ease but the procreation and education of children and the support of a family.... People who do not like children are…not worthy to be called men and women, because they despise the blessing of God, the Creator and Author of marriage" – Martin Luther (Christian History, Issue 39, p. 24).

"...we have found not one orthodox theologian to defend Birth Control before the 1900's NOT ONE! On the other hand, we have found that many highly regarded Protestant theologians were enthusiastically opposed to it, all the way back to the very beginning of the Reformation ...those in favor of Birth Control will find no one in the orthodox Protestant camp for the first four centuries to ally themselves with. - Charles Provan “The Bible and Birth Control”

Before I begin, let me lay out a few things:

(1) – this series will primarily deal with the use of birth control within the context of Christian marriage
(2) – I will assume a certain amount of familiarity with the subjects at hand, and thier biblical implications
(3) – being that this issue is one as old as Genesis, the only thing new that I bring to the table is it's discussion in a new place, by new faces, for a new generation.
(4) – I do pray the Lord convicts my readers on this matter. It is an issue of grave importance for this and future generations, and should be more heavily understood and debated than it is.

-- The Bondage of the Pill and the “God Complex”—

Being that Martin Luther is one of the more outspoken critics of birth control and the various forms of abortions, I felt it appropriate to name this series “The Bondage of the Pill”. For those who have read Luther’s “Bondage of the Will”, they may see some of the same arguments come out within the series, since I believe that the birth ‘control’ issue eventually becomes one of the human will vs. the Divine will.

So take your shoes off, roll up your pants, and let’s wade in some living waters, how ‘bout it?

Let’s start with some questions:
Is it wrong to “play” God? (And they all said, “Amen!”)
After all, isn’t that what the uproar about stem cell research is over? Many Christians see it as playing God. Tampering with the creation/destruction of human in its most defenseless form. As is usual with much of Christendom, we have the same Book, we see the same commands, we have the same facts, we agree with what we have been taught, and believe it wholeheartedly; and yet we come away with different point-of-views. We all know it is wrong to play God, but that doesn’t stop some Christians from pushing the envelope, in the name of “science”, or “health”, or “quality of human life”, or in our context “ease of the married life”. I hope most of it is ignorance, however I’m frightened that much of it may be near-sighted modern revisionism.



So what do those old guys know anyway?
Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, Robert Dabney, Charles Spurgeon, A.W. Pink, Zacharius Ursinus, Heinrich Bullinger, Cotton Mather, Herbert Leupold, Johann Keil, Franz Delitszch, Matthew Henry, Adam Clark and John Machen. Doubtless, names that inspire theological prowess and prestige – and in this case, firm and biblical criticism of birth control.

So, I expect you ‘not to do it’ just because everyone else isn’t, right?

Well, you’re close. Spurgeon once said, “That which is new is not true. It is the old that is true, for truth is as old as God himself.” The criticism for use of birth control is not new by any means, and (I would assert) even goes back to biblical times. What is new, is the evangelical push to ‘accept’ it, within the realms of Christian responsibility. The argument has become today, “I should have the choice on when I have children – and not leave it up to chance (nature, God, or any other word that is along the same drift).”


-- Waiting until the time is right, and our pockets are full --
I’ll continue here with a quote I made on this issue at Fillup.org:

I don’t see this issue as one of stewardship either. How many times have we told God, “Lord, don’t let me make that much money this year — I just don’t think I’m ready for it”, or “I appreciate these spiritual gifts that you have given me, but that is enough for now. I don’t think I could deal with anymore.” The truth is, God knows what we are ‘ready’ for [and when we are ready for it]. Like folks always say, “God won’t give you anything that you can’t handle.”


What this quote deals with is the prevailing view that birth control is permissible if it is being used to allow the family more time to ‘prepare’ for having children, and/or control the quality of life for other children in the home. Much of this preparation amounts to financial preparations. I continue here with an example:

--Couple A has just been married. Both are still in college and have student loans. That being the case, they decide to use birth control until they are financially stable enough to raise a child and, in a sense, tell God that they “don’t want any kids right now – it’s just not the right time.”
--Now, let us say, for the sake of argument, that we have a pastor of a church, a “family of God”, and just for consistency we will call it Couple B. Couple B has been a church for many years, and has had many ‘new additions’ to the family throughout the years (i.e. conversions and baptisms). However; once its pews are filled every Sunday, Couple B decides that it can’t handle any more ‘members’ of its family. If they kept growing, they’d have to build a bigger church, and would have less leisure time to themselves. So in order to ‘control’ its new ‘births’, it decides to quit presenting the gospel. After all, it’s already a big family – why add anymore?

Okay, so Couple B is a stretch. But, does it pull any heartstrings? I hope so. It’s a hideous thought that think that a preacher would decide that his church had ‘enough’ members and, in a sense, closed its doors. They couldn’t do that! Not with the command, “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Matt. 28:19. That’s a preacher’s job, isn’t it? To proclaim the word of God, and “[teach] them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…” Matt. 28:20.

And what about this Couple A? What is their deal? Well, they have decided to close their own womb. They said, in effect, “Bless us later God. With school, and work – children will have to wait”. Oh my! What would Rachel think? Or Sarah? While these women went out of their way to try to force the Lord to bless them with offspring, Couple A is doing the opposite and (I think the case could be made) standing in God’s stead.
“And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, ‘Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?’” – Genesis 30:2
God's exhortation to Couple A was, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth..." Would you say they were obeying that command? What would the bible say about 'closing your own womb'?

In closing:
If the issue is economical stability, perhaps the question should be — Should marriage wait until the couple is economical ready for the blessing of children? That seems to be a faith filled outlook.

If the issue is biblical, perhaps the question should be – Should a Christian assume the right of ‘birth control’ under the guise of stewardship, and take a pro-active role in something that is not expressly delegated to the believer and in fact is clearly spoken out against? Or should we, as President Bush so eloquently put it, “always err on the side of life.”


Verses for meditation:
Genesis 38
Psalm 139

Carry on,
Bro. Hank
-------------------------
Look for the interview shortly!!!

Up and Coming - "The Bondage of the Pill"

It seems that the blogosphere (at least my little corner of it anyways) is replete with commentary on Christian birth control. Nearly all honest Christians believe that abortion is wrong. Within that group however; some even have doubts on the morality of birth control, and its place in a Christian marriage.


The issue is certainly one of importance, and should not be gently set aside as another one of the 'finer points' of doctrine that must take it's seat among its comrades of "tithing", "alcoholic abstinence", "contemporary vs. traditional worship", etc. God did not turn to Adam in Genesis, and first of all command him to "Tithe, tea-total, and sing "I Can Only Imagine" all over the earth".

What He in fact said, to this first man, this first human father and mother was "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth..." Gen. 1:28.(And God repeated this command 7 times in Genesis alone! - thank you CSB)

In these next few days, I hope to do some more blogging, some more linking, and some more good old fashion provocating in support of one of God's first commands to the human race, "Be fruitful."

If I'm outta line or outta whack - feel free to knock me upside the head -figuratively speaking...of course ;), and set me straight. I want your dialogue, your diatribes, and your "die Hank die"s ....hehe.

Up next -- an interview with a local Pro-life activist, and his comments on some of these issues...

Until then, "Go in peace, and serve the Lord".

Bro. Hank

----------------
Some good background reading:

Can Christians Use Birth Control? - Fillup.org

Contraception - Frank Turk -the Centuri0n

Albert Mohler's Radio show on Christian Birth Control

What Does Genesis 38 Teach? - The Banty Rooster
----------------------
"Am I In God's Stead?" The Bondage of the Pill - Part I

A Sunday Hymn - How Sweet The Name...

John Newton -1179

How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.

It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;
’Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary, rest.

Dear Name, the Rock on which I build,
My Shield and Hiding Place,
My never failing treasury, filled
With boundless stores of grace!

By Thee my prayers acceptance gain,
Although with sin defiled;
Satan accuses me in vain,
And I am owned a child.

Jesus! my Shepherd, Husband, Friend,
O Prophet, Priest and King,
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
Accept the praise I bring.

Weak is the effort of my heart,
And cold my warmest thought;
But when I see Thee as Thou art,
I’ll praise Thee as I ought.

Till then I would Thy love proclaim
With every fleeting breath,
And may the music of Thy Name
Refresh my soul in death!

Are Baptist Seminaries 'Holding Firm' and 'Standing Fast'?

According to Tom Ascol, Executive Director of Founders Ministries, they sure are. Ascol writes this in his July 20th article entitled "Reforming theological education":

"One of the great results of the conservative resurgence within the Southern Baptist Convention the last three decades has been the impact made on our theological seminaries. Whatever doubts there may have been about the confessional integrity of those institutions has been, for the most part, removed. Now there is reason to believe that most professors actually believe the statements of faith that they sign in order to teach at one of our schools."

Undoubtedly, much of this can be attributed to the leadership abilities of seminary presidents such as Albert Mohler from Southern Baptist Theological in Louisville, KY. Mohler's firm stance on doctrinal accuracy and adherence to the Abstract of Principles makes him one of the figure heads for the "conservative resurgence" that has helped to bring the SBC back on track, so to speak.

In a 1993 Convocation Address to his students, Rev. Mohler had this to say about holding firm to the Faith:

"The Abstract is a reminder that we bear a responsibility to this great denomination, whose name we so proudly bear as our own. We bear the collective responsibility to call this denomination back to itself and its doctrinal inheritance. This is a true reformation and revival only the sovereign God can accomplish, but we must strive to be acceptable and usable instruments of that renewal.

The Abstract represents a clarion call to start with conviction rather than mere action. It cries out, "Don't just do something, stand there!" This reverses the conventional wisdom of the world, but it puts the emphasis rightly. Southern Baptists are now much more feverishly concerned with doing than with believing--and thus our denominational soul is in jeopardy. This people of God must reclaim a theological tradition which understands all of our denominational activity to be founded upon prior doctrinal commitments. This is true for the denomination at every level--and of the local churches as well.

But this message is also critical for the future of theological education and of Southern Seminary. We can never measure our life and work in terms of activity and statistics. In the view of eternity, we will be judged most closely, not on the basis of how many courses were taught, how many students were trained, how many syllabi were printed, or how many books were published, but on whether or not we kept the faith. The other issues are hardly irrelevant, and they are valid markers of institutional stewardship and ministry. But there is a prior question: Does the institution and those who teach here stand for God's truth, and do so without embarrassment? May we answer that question with the humble confidence of Martin Luther, and say *Here we stand; we can do no other. God help us.* "
Click Here for entire transcript

As an aspiring seminary student myself, it gives me great comfort to know that these seminaries are taking a firm stance on their commitment to historical doctrinal truths. A healthy SBC in years to come, is dependent on a firm theological foundation. May we ever build on the Rock.

--Bro. Hank--

The Holy Land

CoxandForkum.com gives us some food for thought, as Israel cleans out the Hezzbollah.

Fun (and Hot) Friday ... in Texas anyways.

As the temperature outside chips away at the 100 degree mark, enjoy the AC and let me fill you in on a few blogs around cyberspace, and other interesting tidbits...

Dan Phillips of The Pyromaniacs wrote this week about getting a Righteous slap-down by his kids. The post is deeper than you'd think (as always is the case with the pyros), and offers up a few giggles along the way.

Phillip Bethancourt of Fillup.org is questioned about the goals, strategies, and possible dangers of Christian blogging in Part 3 of an interview by Travis Mitchell of Stepping In Faith. Phillip offers up some good advice for all would-be bloggers.

Pastor Phillip Way opines in this post on three common questions of the Christian faith, such as "Doesn't it say somewhere in the Bible that 'God helps those who help themselves?", and "I don't have to go to church because I can worship God anywhere, right?" Pastor Way handles these questions and more with a wholly biblical perspective, and does great justice to the text. Definitely worth a look-see.

Scrapple Face tackles the tough issue of stem cell research in his post entitled, "Bush Veto Kills Hopes for Lawmaker Spinal Cure". While you're there, peruse the rest of his Top Stories for some light-hearted pokes at world events. He is sure to keep you on your toes.

In my neck of the woods...
I'm continuing my read of Piper's "The Pleasures of God". This week has been a busy one, so I haven't made much progress, but I am turning some pages. I've recently started reading some of William Plumer's "Theology for the People" as well. It's definitely not a casual read, but it does "punctuate the day to more loftier heights". (Thank you, Rev. King)


Stay tuned.

The Heart of the Matter

"The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?" Jeremiah 17:9
Photo courtesy of GracesGems.org
=======================

"Follow your heart!" That's what the world says. They will tell you that you have everything you will ever need deep inside you. But, oh, how far from the truth they are. In fact, it is only in looking away from our "pity-full" selves and gazing upon Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, that we are truly able to find our way in life.

Down with 'self-confidence' and up with 'Christ-confidence'! Down with 'self-esteem'! Esteem only that which Christ can give. Take heed not to fall into the lies of the decietful heart. You may feel one way one moment, and another way the next -- but Truth of Christ is unchanging and without variation. His statues are pure and holy! Let the world follow itself, let the Christian follow his God.

Look unto Him! from whom cometh your salvation and sanctification!
Seek His Heart!

Bro. Hank

Conflict

Well now that I’ve been publicly admonished into blogging… no, ironically I’d actually planned on posting yesterday but didn’t get a chance to wrap this up. I do apologize to anyone who occasionally peruses this site for my long belated absence (which to some may have been a good thing after my last entry!). The last couple weeks have been pretty busy at work and outside of work where I have spent a couple weeks with my fiancé who came up to see me, purchased a new car with her to replace her old one, gotten a speeding ticket driving the aforementioned free car home from the dealership (don’t even get me started on the ticket which was pretty crazy- I was cited for speeding on the access road as I was accelerating on the on ramp to merge onto the highway…), caught up with some friends, and packed as I’m heading up to near Chicago tomorrow for work.

But now that I’ve finished that rambling introduction, I wanted to change topics a little to James 4:1-10 which deals with interpersonal conflict. Now for anyone who has read the news lately or flipped past CNN on TV, you’ll understand why that seems particularly relevant right now.

For anyone who has dropped off the globe the past week or so, Israel is virtually in an all our war with Hezbollah and Hamas in Southern Lebanon who are being funded by Syria and Iran. Now, if Iran specifically gets “officially” involved in the war, rather than just behind the scenes, we could be looking at World War 3. Not a good thought, especially on the wake of Afghanistan, Iraq, and now North Korea. Who knows, but back to my point.

It’s very tragic that they are fighting in the first place as all the conflict inevitably gets back to religion (although clearly there is a lot of other factors at play). Nonetheless, it’s particularly tragic as both the Jewish and Islamic faith have just enough truth in it to make it appear to have substance. However, ultimately both are lost without recognizing the Divinity of Christ but that’s a post for another day.

What I want to get back to is James 4:1-10 which deals with interpersonal conflict. Because at a micro level, every war comes down to the people involved in it. The first verses say the following:

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

In other words, the root of all quarrels comes down to the battle within in us. As my pastor up here says, “The issue is not the issue, and the problem is not the circumstances.” Ultimately, our flesh longs for lusts and other desires (be they legitimate or illegitimate pleasures) is what causes the conflicts. Yes, there are some cases where we are called to be in conflict, such as when we are defending the truth of scripture (read Jude). Several times in the New Testament a church member is publicly admonished or asked to leave the church to protect the purity of Christ’s bride. Even Paul publicly admonished Peter (Galatians 2:11-13). But probably 95% of the conflict in our own lives is due to the sin in our own lives, whether we admit it or not. And when you are called to Biblical conflict, you definitely should not enjoy it and your motive should be the Glory of God, not to prove you are right or someone else is wrong, something I know I’ve fallen prey to before. So the next time you find yourself at conflict, ask yourself, what is my flesh hoping to gain from this conflict (be it pride, covering a lie, etc), and is this really what Jesus would be doing in this situation. You might find you don’t really like the answer.

Spare The Milk Carton...

That's right. Save that little 5x3 photo for some other missing person...cause I'm back!

Back from where, you may ask? Well, I must admit, I haven't really been anywhere. I seemed to have hit one of those writer's blocks a few weeks ago, and am just now shaking it.

Such A Trip:
This morning I got back from a youth retreat with one of the local churches. We went out to a little place about 25 miles West of Lampasas, with a spring fed creek, massive pecan trees, huge catfish, starry nights, homecooked meals, and a good sense of wilderness. We didn't really have a structured agenda for the kids, just hangout, fellowship, and make it for the lesson on Sunday morning. It was a 'recharger' for me and the kids. Looking at all the beauty out there made me glad I was from Texas, but also made me stand in awe that the landscape was so pristine and breathtaking, even after the Fall! Genesis 3:17 "...cursed is the ground for thy sake..."
Wow! So just think how perfectly and wonderfully made the earth was in the beginning! Glory be to God!

Now Reading:
I recently bought John Piper's book, "The Pleasures of God". Ironically, I'm at the chapter where Piper is talking about the pleasure of God in creation. Coincidence...? I think not. All in all, I have enjoyed the book so far. It is a much deeper read than I anticipated, which makes me like it even more, but does slow down my reading. Piper seems to be a fan of the footnote, which spells trouble for my reading and my wallet. He quotes from a number of other sources that sound like a good read as well, so I feel inclined to mark them down on my "To Get" list from amazon.com.

Thus Saith the Lord:
Tonight, my preacher preached on Jeremiah 6:16, which says: "Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein." Immediately the message struck a chord in my heart. For some reason or another, I can't explain it, I have always sought the "old paths". Not that I have always sought the Lord, that is not what I am saying. But once I met the Savior, I was immediately drawn to the fathers of our faith, the "old paths", the "good way". Those old hymns that all your grandparents still sing...I love them! I can't get enough of old recordings of various evangelist from SermonAudio.com and other sites. Writers like Spurgeon, Luther, Edwards, Wesley, Whitefield, and others speak to me of faith, and preserverence of the saints; something that many modern day preachers glaze over for the more popular self-help 'Prosperity Gospel'. These newbies preach that God wants you to be happy, the "old paths" say that God wants you to be Holy. Oh that we may ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it! Amen?

Small World:
Just to show once again, what a small world it is (but really, just saying how glorious it is that God is still on the Throne!), I've got a connection to make. This evening I was explaining to my preacher where I went to church when I was up in College Station. I told him I went to Central, and he immediately said, "Yeah, Bro. Osborne, right?" I was a little surprised he knew the preacher by name, but still wanting to brag a little on what the Lord was doing there, I said, "Yeah, He's a preachin' fool, I tell you what." Nodding his head in agreement, my preacher look at me and said, "I know, that's why we've got him scheduled for a revival this fall." Ain't that something? It was one of those "confirmation" moments right there. You know what I'm talking about? Those times when God removes all possibility of chance, and happenstance, and says, "My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do." - Isaiah 46:10-11. Ain't it comforting to know that the Lord knows who's preachin' His Word, and who's prostituting it for the applause of men. He said His Word will not return to him void, and I believe Him! Hallelujah!

Worth Your Time:
If you're just cruisin' around the ole net today, and need a few pit stops, check out:

Fillup

The Pyromaniacs

Pastor Way

Courtside (Fillup's wife...lol)

The Posse:
As for my fellow bloggers, allow me a few days to shame them into posting, so that we can get this "journey" rolling again. Sound like a deal?

Carry On,
Bro. Hank