Rebecca Writeshttp://www.rebecca-writes.com/rebeccawrites/en-US2012-02-11T04:59:48ZSquarespace Site Server v5.11.81 (http://www.squarespace.com/)Round the Sphere Again: Recommended for Listeninghttp://www.rebecca-writes.com/rebeccawrites/2012/2/10/round-the-sphere-again-recommended-for-listening.htmlrebecca2012-02-10T20:29:40Zlinks I like

Excellent mp3 from recent conferences.

Every Thought Captive
The Thirsty Theologian recommends the audio from the Every Thought Captive Conference with Tim Challies and Frank Turk. (I probably won’t listen to these, but I trust Thirsty’s endorsement.)

Finding God’s Will
I have listened to this audio from the Finding God’s Will Conference at Riverview Church in Holt, Michigan:

I remember my parents working out what it meant to make decisions according to God’s will and discussing it with each other when I was a child. They came, eventually, to what these speakers call the “wisdom view,” and since I was a little pitcher with big ears I came to that view right along with them. Thinking this way saved me a lot of grief as I grew and began making more decisions on my own.

If you struggle with this issue, I recommend this series of lectures. If you just want to think rightly about what God expects of us in regards to finding his will for us, you’ll want to listen up, too.

]]>Thankful Thursdayhttp://www.rebecca-writes.com/rebeccawrites/2012/2/9/thankful-thursday.htmlrebecca2012-02-09T23:27:07Zthanksgiving

I’m still thankful for my little granddaughter who is growing every day, reminding me what a joy babies are just because they’re babies. I’m thankful that after parenthood comes grandparenthood, with each one a blessing.

I’m thankful that my children and my grandchild all live close to me.

I’m thankful for the man who showed up to help push my car out of the snow bank yesterday. 

I’m thankful for wonderful winter weather.

I’m thankful that God adopted me. I’m thankful that he makes believers members of his family and gives them all the privileges of children of God. I’m thankful that one of the privileges of God’s adopted children is discipline for our good.

What about you? What are you thankful for?

]]>Nine Good Purposes in Our Sufferinghttp://www.rebecca-writes.com/rebeccawrites/2012/2/8/nine-good-purposes-in-our-suffering.htmlrebecca2012-02-09T03:23:28Ztheology of suffering
Here’s a list, taken from scripture, of good results that come from the suffering of believers. Update: Please read the comments for more. 
  1. Suffering works to advance the gospel. In these two cases, it’s the suffering of persecution that helps spread the gospel, but I’m sure other kinds of suffering can work this way, too.
    I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ (Philippians 1:12-13 ESV).

    Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord (Acts 11: 19-21 ESV).
  2. Suffering spurs other believers to keep trusting in Christ. It may be that I should have included this verse with item #1, but I’m not sure. I’m thinking that these verses might not be saying that Paul’s suffering advances the gospel, but rather that Paul’s faithfulness in affliction spurs other believers to keep on trusting God through difficult times. What do you think? (Update: I could add the whole chapter of Hebrews 11 as a text for this. See first comment from Holiday Longing.)
    3. …always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you (2 Corinthians 4:10-12 ESV).
  3. Suffering shows our weakness, demonstrating Christ’s power in us. 
    4. But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV).
  4. Suffering teaches us to trust God and not our own abilities. This is similar to #3, except this time the lesson is for us rather than others.
    5. For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead (2 Corinthians 1: 8-9 ESV).
  5. Suffering shows the genuineness of our faith. 
    6. ….you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1: 6-7 ESV).
  6. Suffering produces righteousness in us.
    7. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? …..For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:7, 11 ESV).
    ….we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope… (Romans 5:3-4 ESV).

    Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-3 ESV).
  7. Suffering makes us value and long for what is eternal.
    8. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18 ESV).
  8. Suffering brings us heavenly reward. 2 Corinthians 4:17 (directly above) could be used as a text here, too.
    9. ….we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:17-18 ESV).
  9. Suffering give us the ability to comfort and encourage others in their suffering. We suffer and God comforts us, and our experience of God’s comfort enables us to comfort others.
    10. …the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ESV).
I’m sure this list isn’t complete. Can you think of other good purposes in our suffering taught in scripture?
]]>Theological Term of the Weekhttp://www.rebecca-writes.com/rebeccawrites/2012/2/7/theological-term-of-the-week.htmlrebecca2012-02-08T04:43:06Z

transcendence
The term used to describe God’s independence and distinction from creation, and his control over it.

  • From scripture: 

    For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

    For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so are my ways higher than your ways

    and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV)

  • From Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem:

    The teaching of Scripture about the relationship between God and creation is unique among the religions of the world. The Bible teaches that God is distinct from his creation. He is not part of it, for he has made it and rules over it. The term often used to say that God is much greater than creation is the word transcendent. Very simply,  this means that God is far “above” the creation in the sense that he is greater than the creation and he is independent of it.

  • From Salvation Belongs to the Lord by John Frame:

    • When Scripture uses the “up there” language, theologians call it transcendence….

    …[S]ome theologians have misunderstood God’s transcendence. They think it means that God is so far away from us that we cannot really know him, so far that human language can’t describe him accurately, so far that to us he’s just a great heavenly blur without any definite characteristics. This concept of transcendence is unbiblical. If God is transcendent in that way, how can he also be near to us/ Furthermore, according to the Bible we can know definite things about God. Despite the limitations of human language, God is able to use human language to tell us clearly and accurately who he is and what he has done.Learn more:

Learn more:

  1. Theopedia: Transcendence of God
  2. Gotquestions.org: What does it mean that God is transcendent?
  3. J. Hampton Keathley, III: What God Is Like
  4. Bruce Ware: Beholding the God of Merciful Holiness: Transcendence, Immanence, and Ministry (mp3)
Related terms:

Filed under God’s Nature and His Work.

Do you have a term you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion and linking back to your blog when I do.

Clicking on the Theological Term graphic at the top of this post will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms in alphabetical order.

]]>Round the Sphere Again: Kid's Lithttp://www.rebecca-writes.com/rebeccawrites/2012/2/7/round-the-sphere-again-kids-lit.htmlrebecca2012-02-08T04:02:00Zlinks I like

Author
“In 1951, E. B. White — the novelist responsible for, most notably, Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little — was accused by the ASPCA of not paying his dog tax and, as a result, “harboring” an unlicensed dog.”

He responded with this quirky little letter (Letters of Note).

Illustrator
A few of 19th century children’s book illustrator Peter Newell’s topsy-turvy illustrations (mental_floss Blog). (A topsy-turvy is a design or picture that looks right either right side up or upside-down.)

You can page through Newell’s Topsys and Turvys in Google Books. (That title looks so wrong to me; I would have spelled it the right way: “Topsies and Turvies”.)

]]>The Salutary Tendency of the Doctrine of Electionhttp://www.rebecca-writes.com/rebeccawrites/2012/2/7/the-salutary-tendency-of-the-doctrine-of-election.htmlrebecca2012-02-08T03:27:36Zall things bookish quoting

Sometimes the thought of election leads Paul to issue an invitation to praise: ‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who … chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy … in love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons … to the praise of his glorious grace …’ (Eph. 1:3ff., NIV). Sometimes, again, Paul invokes election to bring Christians assurance and encouragement (‘comfort’ in the strong Bible sense of the word): ‘Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies; who is to condemn? … Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?’ (Romans 8:33ff.). Sometimes, too, Paul makes election a basis for ethical appeal: ‘Put on therefore, as God’s elect … a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering …’ (Col. 3:12, RV). … [W]e can hardly be right in treating the doctrine of election as an unedifying encumbrance when in Paul’s hands it becomes a motive and mainspring of worship and assurance and holy living. A doctrine which has this salutary tendency cannot really be either unedifying or unimportant. 

From the chapter on election in  18 Words: The Most Important Words You Will Ever Know by J. I. Packer.

]]>A Catechism for Girls and Boyshttp://www.rebecca-writes.com/rebeccawrites/2012/2/6/a-catechism-for-girls-and-boys.htmlrebecca2012-02-07T05:09:26Zteach your children well

Part II: Questions about The Ten Commandments

62. Q. What does the ninth commandment teach us?    
         A. To tell the truth and not to speak evil of others. 

(Click through to read scriptural proof.)

]]>Sunday Hymn: Abide With Mehttp://www.rebecca-writes.com/rebeccawrites/2012/2/4/sunday-hymn-abide-with-me.htmlrebecca2012-02-05T03:10:42ZSunday's hymnAbide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word;
But as Thou dwell’st with Thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free.
Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.

Come not in terrors, as the King of kings,
But kind and good, with healing in Thy wings,
Tears for all woes, a heart for every plea—
Come, friend of sinners, and thus bide with me.

Thou on my head in early youth didst smile;
And, though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,
Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee,
On to the close, O Lord, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

—Henry F. Lyte

Other hymns, worship songs, sermons etc. posted today:

Have you posted a hymn (or sermon, sermon notes, prayer, etc.) today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by contacting me using the contact form linked above, and I’ll add your post to the list. 

]]>Regeneration in the Old Testament? Oh Yes!http://www.rebecca-writes.com/rebeccawrites/2012/2/3/regeneration-in-the-old-testament-oh-yes.htmlrebecca2012-02-04T00:23:55Zall things bookish quoting

In the conversation between Christ and Nicodemus, recorded in John’s Gospel, the Saviour showed that there are no spiritual activities without regeneration; in his first epistle, John labours the converse truth that there is no regeneration without spiritual activities. The fruits of regeneration are repentance, faith and good works. The regenerate believe rightly in Jesus Christ (1 John 5:1). They do righteousness (2:29). They do not live a life of sin (3:9; 5:18; the verbs ‘commits sin’, ‘cannot sin’, ‘does not sin’, express habitual actions, as the present tense regularly does in Greek, and not absolute sinlessness, as 1:8-10 makes clear). They experience faith’s victory over the world (5:4). They love their fellow-Christians (4:7). These are the marks by which the regenerate are known; for no man could do any of these things were he not born again. But we have no warrant for regarding anyone as regenerate without these marks. Any who lack them, whatever they may claim, are to be adjudged unregenerate children of the devil (3:6-10). Regeneration is known by its fruits.

Here, incidentally, is a sufficient answer to the question whether spiritual regeneration was a reality in Old Testament times. Fallen human nature was no less incompetent in spiritual things then than it is now. Had there been no regeneration in Old Testament times, there would have been no faith, and Hebrews 11 could never have been written.

From the chapter on regeneration in  18 Words: The Most Important Words You Will Ever Know by J. I. Packer.

]]>Thankful Thursdayhttp://www.rebecca-writes.com/rebeccawrites/2012/2/2/thankful-thursday.htmlrebecca2012-02-02T22:23:08Zthanksgiving

When I write up these Thankful Thursday posts, I feel like I’m thankful for the same things over and over and that’s got to be boring to read. But the truth is, God provides for our daily needs, the things we need day in and day out, and that’s a wonderful—and, when you think about it, rather exciting—thing. 

I remember when I first grasped the concept of God’s active sustenance of the universe—you know: the world turns because every moment God commands it to turn and it responds, and all else does what it does in the very same way—and how that changed my view of everything. Think about it: if God quit commanding, we’d be in deep trouble. Truth be told, if the “word of his power” ceased to exist, I’d cease to exist.

So I’m thankful that the earth rotates. I’m thankful for the days and the seasons. (And while we’re on the subject, can I say, like I said last week, that I’m thankful for warmer winter weather.) I’m thankful, too, that I exist—that I putter along, yesterday, today, and maybe tomorrow, God willing. 

I’m thankful for food in the fridge and oil for the furnace. For trees out my window and white snow everywhere.

I’m thankful that the God by whose word my world exists is benevolent and unchanging. I’m thankful that the God who sustains by his word also speaks to us so that we can know the One to whom we owe everything.

What about you? What are you thankful for?

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