thegreatknock

In honour of the Precept Inductive Bible Study method, the following invitation is presented in the manner of the 5 W’s and the H…

Who: the regulars…and even your irregular friends, if they have the evening available
What: an occasion for the viewing of the movie pictured above, Clash of the Titans
When: Thursday next, at something like seven in the even (that’s poetic for “evening”)
Where: at the historic Ritterbush pad
Why: for lenten entertainment and mild mythological amusement
How: courtesy of my Netflix subscription and the mad claymation skills of whoever made this movie

Speaking of Precept, tonight began the eleven-week study in the Covenants.  The first week was an overview, and the part of it I finished before classtime tonight I much enjoyed.  I especially love the word studies.  For example, while it is typically translated “made a covenant,” the Hebrew word for “made” more closely means “cut, cut off, cut away, tear (as in flesh), destroy or make an end to, exclude from membership or association.”  Think of all this relates to for we who are in Him, we Gentiles who were strangers to the covenants of promise, without God and without hope in the world, but who have been brought near by the blood of Christ–how we who had been excluded now are miraculously included!  How He was torn and destroyed for us, that we might escape God’s wrath!  And that His covenant should be everlasting!  Amazing.

None of these profound realities were discussed in the classtime tonight, sadly.  But as Brooke reminds me, this is only the first week and is meant to be a simple overview–I should be patient.  Still, there were various interesting opinions voiced this evening, and a few poor interpretations, one which elicited a great groan or disagreement from most of the room.  Poor fellow.  Still, I have higher hopes for it, and at the least it will help me press on in accountability to finish it all.

For those who have never gone through a Precept Upon Precept study, I recommend them.  It certainly helps one begin to dig in and get grubby with the Word (though, of course, really one is getting clean–“Sanctify them by the Truth, Father; Your Word is Truth!”)…

“Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, ‘Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.’ So his armorbearer said to him, ‘Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart.'”

Are you so afraid of failure because you believe God only directs men into “successful” situations? Do you fear stepping out to ask the bold question, to dare the words of love, because you are unsure of winning the other heart? Is it the other person or yourself that you fear? Do you fear even your own desires, O saint? And are you using half-hearted prayers seeking “guidance” as a mask for your lack of faith in doing?

How many failures we have seen among the lives of biblical men and women, and yet God maintains His glory, His throne, His love. Is this a license for foolishness among God’s people? Surely not! But we must have a greater, grander view of God’s grace, and even of the grace among His people! Do other believers demand all answers and perfection from you? They should not, lest they forget the grace which also purchased them. The same honesty which requires that we sometimes speak the difficult things or confess the hard hurts and loves, is that honesty which compels every man in this prayer: “God, have mercy on me, a poor sinner.” The poor in spirit are most honest. The poor in spirit may, in this life, lose out for the sake of that honesty, or may be damaged by their own truth-telling. But grace and deep affection are not lost or injured for the losing–neither the love of God in Christ Jesus nor the love of the fellow faithful are diminished!

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?…No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us!”

Have you become convinced that moving forward into an unknown will separate you from His love? The doubt which may accompany many great steps of faith is not sinful; faith itself both includes and overwhelms doubt. But we have promises beyond the small steps and assurances which no small doubtful, daring venture can drown. Therefore, walk bold, Christian! Who knows? It may be that the Lord will work for you, for He is not hindered by many or by few…

“Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his
armor, ‘Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it
may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.’  So his armorbearer said to him, ‘Do all that is in your heart.  Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart.'”

Are you so afraid of failure because you believe God only directs men into “successful” situations?  Do you fear stepping out to ask the bold question, to dare the words of love, to do the ludricous thing, because you are unsure of winning the answer, the other heart, or the prize?  Is it the other person or yourself that you fear?  Do you fear even your own desires, O saint?  And are you using half-hearted prayers seeking “guidance” as a mask for your lack of faith in doing?  

How many failures we have seen among the lives of biblical men and women, and yet God maintains His glory, His throne, His love.  Is this a license for foolishness among God’s people?  Surely not!  But we must have a greater, grander view of God’s grace, and even of the grace among His people!   Do other believers demand all answers and perfection from you?  They should not, lest they forget the grace which also purchased them.  The same honesty which requires that we sometimes speak the difficult things or confess the hard hurts and loves, is that honesty which compels every man in this prayer: “God, have mercy on me, a poor sinner.”  The poor in spirit are most honest.  The poor in spirit may, in this life, lose out for the sake of that honesty, or may be damaged by their own truth-telling.  But grace and deep affection are not lost or injured for the losing–neither the love of God in Christ Jesus nor the love of the fellow faithful are diminished! 

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?…No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us!”  Have you become convinced that moving forward into an unknown will separate you from His love?  The doubt which may accompany many great steps of faith is not sinful; faith itself both includes and overwhelms doubt.  But we have promises beyond the small steps and assurances which no small doubtful, daring venture can drown.  Therefore, walk bold, Christian!  Who knows?  It may be that the Lord will work for you, for He is not hindered by many or by few…

p.s. I’m including today’s ESV Verse of the Day:

“For you have been called for this purpose,
since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps
Who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;
and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats,
but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross,
that we might die to sin and live to righteousness;
for by His wounds
you were healed. 
For you were continually straying like sheep,
but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

1 Peter 2

Sometimes I notice the young women around me and I wonder, almost aloud: “What person is it in your life that, when this person tells you that you are a beautiful and lovely woman, you will really truly believe it and walk in that reality all the rest of your days?”

I know who, but I wonder if the women do.

I dearly love this music.  When I was growing up, all through my childhood years I had my parents’ record player in my room, and from their collection there were four or five albums to which I listened often and enthusiastically.  One was a Christian music called “It’s Cool in the Furnace,” another was the Kingston Trio’s “Live at the hungry i,” and I delved into Frank Sinatra’s “Nice ‘n Easy” quite a good bit.  Of course, there were also all of the Psalty-the-Singing-Songbook recordings and other such notable works, but those we listened to on tape.  But the record album which probably received most of my attention was Bernstein’s version of the 1812 Overture/Capriccio Italien/Marche Slave, so when I discovered it on iTunes I was a very happy man.  Now to listen to it takes me back to that small bedroom and the old record player. 

Not to mention the fact that Tchaikovsky makes me want to rock out–I was listening to the 1812 in the car the other day, and the movement of the music is incredible!  It builds, the tidal build, before the terrific warlike clamour of finale, and I rather wanted to jump up and down (which is hard to do when you’re behind a steering wheel).   How well the great classical authors of music wove strings of emotions unexpected and yet clean and clear throughout an entire piece.  Romance, fury, meditation and repose–all may find their voice within the span of a few minutes’ humming and blaring…

I’m nearly finished with my first reading of Jack London’s The Sea Wolf, and have found it quite a terrific find! I have long had an old copy of it on my shelves, a hand-me-down (of which I have many) from my parents, but had never read it. I confess, I’d never given much stock to London as a novelist, always believing him little more than a bitter naturalist and only a fair writer to boot. How wrong was I in my estimation! Much talent revealed in this novel, and philosophical pickings as well–Captain Larsen is perhaps the most complete and consistent atheist I’ve yet read in literature. Apparently, London’s aim was to decry the Nietzschean Superman in Larsen, though he does not give full confidence either to the moralistic musings of the narrator of the tale. This narrator falls flat because his moralism gives no reckoning to a true God, and therefore has no absolute Author(ity) above it, behind it, or in it. Still, the debates between Van Weyden and Larsen are capital…

Above, a photograph of young London–mostly because I have yet to try putting a picture on this blog, and must prove that I can. Does this look like the face of a young man who played the parts of oyster pirate, national hobo, Yukon explorer, and frequent library patron in his young life?

And yes, I’m here at work.
And yes, I’m terribly terribly bored.
I have been killing time for the past few hours…and it’s been killing me in return.

In honour of Bryan “The Cat” Ellis, also recognised with great esteem under the title of Le Tigre, I wish to direct the attention of all readers to the astounding musical talents of a trio by the same name.  Simply come to AOL music video archives and seek out the band “Le Tigre” under the alternative genre.  Three videos are available there, and none will do much to please any of the human senses, but you might get a good laugh, ending with a smiling sigh as you think of our fond friend Bryan Ellis and how he would never wish any association with said videos.

“Useful men are some of the greatest blessings of a people.  To have many such is more for a people’s happiness than almost anything–unless it is God’s own gracious spiritual presence amongst them.  They are precious gifts of heaven.  Particularly I would beseech and exhort those aged ones that yet remain, while they do live with us, to let us have much of their prayers, that when they leave the younger generations, that they may leave God with them.”

“Yea…that we shall see the great Head of the Church once more…raise up unto Himself certain young men whom He may use in this
glorious employ.  And what manner of men will they be?  Men mighty in the
Scriptures, their lives dominated by a sense of the greatness, the
majesty and holiness of God, and their minds and hearts aglow with the
great truths of the doctrines of grace.  They will be men who have
learned what it is to die to self, to human aims and personal
ambitions; men who are willing to be ‘fools for Christ’s sake’, who
will bear reproach and falsehood, who will labor and suffer, and whose
supreme desire will be, not to gain earth’s accolades, but to win the
Master’s approbation when they appear before His awesome judgment seat. 
They will be men who will preach with broken hearts and tear-filled
eyes, and upon whose ministries God will grant an extraordinary
effusion of the Holy Spirit, and who will witness ‘signs and wonders
following’ in the transformation of multitudes of human lives.”