A Scriptural Rebuttal

I read a little religious article today that was posted on Huffington Post's website.  I thought the author made some good points, but some of what he said was quite contrary to Scripture.  I wrote out a comment, but am not comfortable with having to share my Facebook profile information with the whole world, so decided against posting it there.  However, I do still want my comment "out there", because I want to show that Scripture does, in fact, contradict some of his main points, even though he won't read this.  It will probably make more sense to you if you read his article first.


Not being a Rick Santorum fan in the least, & being repulsed by his – & other politicians’ – use of his “Christianity” for political gain, I have no problem with you calling him out.  I also have to say, “Kudos!” for pointing out the Scriptures that far too many Christians turn a blind eye to in regards to caring for the poor, widow, & orphan.  But I would like to make some observations here.  First of all, God gave His commands to His people, not to all people & not to secular governments.  OT Israel was a theocracy; there is no such thing now – not even in the U.S., where far too many Americans hold themselves as “God’s chosen people” simply because they’re American.  This being so, God’s commands are to be proclaimed by the church, not by the government.  The government’s stance of forcefully “taking from those who work to give to those who will not” is legal theft, pure & simple.  This is in no way, shape, or form living out the tenets of Scripture. (Actually, it directly contradicts Scripture as seen in 2 Thess. 3:10).  Whereas, Christians who take care of widows, orphans, & those who are legitimately poor out of an overflow of the grace & mercy they have been shown in Christ, being His hands & feet to a lost & dying world – absolutely is.  Secondly, I notice that you make liberal use of the OT when referring to such benevolent actions (& well you should), but when it comes to abortion & homosexuality, suddenly you don’t.  You also posit that there aren’t even any NT Scriptures that condemn these actions.  Even though there are plenty of Scriptures therein that do – in fact – call these things abominations.  (Ex. 20:13; Matt. 5:21; Rom. 13:9; Ps. 127:3; Eze. 23:38-39; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 1 Tim. 1:8-11; Jude 1:6-7; Rom.1:24-32; Gen. 19)  I also notice that you quote “love your neighbor as yourself” & find it rather odd that you don’t extend this same love to the unborn child.  And, finally, Christianity is not political.  Christianity is not about Republicans versus Democrats, “Conservatives” versus “Liberals”.  Christianity is not about forcing lost people to behave in moral ways.  It’s not about finding that one Scriptural barb that you can use to prove your position & “stick it to” your opponent.  Christianity is only & always about us being depraved sinners who have been mercifully saved by the atoning life, death, & resurrection of Jesus Christ, wherein we are proclaimed righteous before God.

Reading God's Word Aloud - A Shared Article

Have you been to A Glimpse of Our Vapor yet?  It's a precious blog filled with personal stories of the Kizziah's lives as well as testimonies to God's grace.  If you haven't read it, you should.  Allow me to encourage you to let today be that day, for Katie has shared an article that her brother Kameron wrote regarding the reading of Scripture aloud.  It's humble, sprinkled with Scripture all throughout (my favorite kind of post), & simply wonderful.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!  God's blessings!

Slaying My Anger

I was angry this morning.  I won't go into what the situation might be (other than to say it most expressly does not have anything to do with Michael, naturally), but I will say that I was on the brink of tears.  That's my typical response when I shoot past irritated, cruise beyond frustrated, & arrive at destination:  angry, angry, angry.  It doesn't help that it's completely beyond my control either - the situation, that is.  What do you do when you feel that choler burning & boiling up from the pit of your stomach, threatening to erupt in a scream?  I pondered calling Beth to vent or Sweet T to beg for wisdom & advice.  I considered waking Michael up so I could pour out my anguish & receive his sympathy.  Instead, I cried out to God to "help me, please help me, because I don't want to feel this way or respond in this manner."  He brought to mind John Piper's "How to Kill Sin" sermon series, which I have lately been listening to once again.  My thoughts ran thus:

     ~Anger is the sin that I'm presently battling, & I want to kill it.
     ~How do you kill sin?  By the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.
     ~That means I need to delve into my Bible to see what it has to say about anger.

Here's what I found, & it was very helpful.  As the situation & feelings of anger have continued to spring to the surface throughout this day, I have been fleeing back to God's Word for the renewal of my mind & spirit.  I pray it is the same balm to you.

*Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.  A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy (often the cause of anger) makes the bones rot.  ~Proverbs 14:29-30 (notation mine)

*A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.  ~Proverbs 15:18

*Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, & he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.  ~Proverbs 16:32

*Good sense makes one slow to anger, & it is his glory to overlook an offense.  ~Proverbs 19:11

*Know this, my beloved brothers:  let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, & slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.  ~James 1:19-20

*A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.  A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.  ~Proverbs 15:1, 4 (I found this appropriate because I'm likely to have a "harsh" or "perverse" tongue when I feel angry.)

*But now you must put them all away:  anger, wrath, malice, slander, & obscene talk from your mouth.  Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy & beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, & patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  ~Colossians 3:8, 12-13

May the word of Christ dwell in us richly & the peace of Christ rule in our hearts.  Amen.

In You My Soul Takes Refuge

Thursday morning, I was drinking in the discussion at our ladies' Bible study when the topic turned to idols.  The actual question posed was something along the lines of, "Other than God, where do you turn for satisfaction?"  I inwardly gasped when Mrs. Becky replied, "Books.  I can get lost in a book & escape."  I didn't realize until that very moment that this is exactly what I've been doing!  I picked up The Hobbit on Christmas Eve, the day after Ginger died, & from that day til now, I've also read The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King, Against the Tide, Wings Like a Dove, Dr. Oma, & A Cup of Cold Water.  8 books in 3 weeks.  (For perspective, it should be noted that I didn't read 8 books in all of last year!)  I've also watched the extended DVD edition of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, which took an entire weekend, & we've rented a few more movies.  So, even though it was unbeknownst to me, I've been a busy girl trying to escape my reality.  I'm not sure how I could be so intensely engaged in avoidance & not realize it, but apparently, I am really good at ignoring reality when need be!

Anyways, with that one comment, God threw open my darkened eyes & illuminated my idolatry.  God is supposed to be my comfort, my very present help in time of need - not some fantasy world or even historical events.  I'm supposed to run to Him with my grief & sorrow, not run away & get lost in Middle Earth or 17th century Scotland.  It was quite fitting that our discussion in Bible study was regarding satisfaction in Christ alone.  I, of course, teared up pretty much the whole time, but delving deeply into God's Word to see that only He can fully satisfy was healing.  I knew that, but I certainly haven't been living as though I believe it.

Last night, I finally began A Steadfast Heart.  It was rather late when I started reading, so I only got through the introduction & a little into chapter one, but it is already a balm to my sorrowing heart.  Listen to this:

"The trials we endure are meant to get at the idolatry, self-love, & independent unbelief that God desires to purge from our life.  They're also meant to cause us to love Jesus Christ more & more, & sometimes they're not discipline at all, but rather part of God's mysterious plan to glorify Himself." (pg. 20)

Then, she quotes the following poem by Martha Snell Nicholson, & I was particularly touched by the last 4 lines:

I stood a mendicant of God

before His royal throne

And begged Him for a priceless gift,

which I could call my own.

I took the gift from out His hand,

but as I would depart,

I cried "But Lord, this is a thorn

and it has pierced my heart.

"This is a strange, a hurtful gift

that Thou hast given me."

He said, "My child, I give good gifts

and give My best to thee."

I took it home and though at first,

the cruel thorn hurt sore;

As long years passed I learned at last

to love it more and more.

I learned He never gives a thorn

without this added grace.

He takes the thorn to pin aside . . .

the veil which hides His face.

So, I'm on the right track now & am looking to God for my comfort.  Rather than escaping to fictional worlds that provide no lasting relief, I'm leaning on God who will help me bear up under my load of grief.

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,

for in You my soul takes refuge;

in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge,

'til the storms of destruction pass by.

I cry out to God Most High,

to God who fulfills His purpose for me.

~Psalm 57:1-2

My Angry Day

I hesitate to write this post mainly because it is obvious from our blog that we are Christians, & I don't want to do anything that brings shame on Christ. My hope is that this post will instead show that Christians aren't perfect, but we are forgiven & are constantly undergoing sanctification.

I am angry today. Actually, it started last night. But before I even tell you about last night, let me remind you that my parents are coming tomorrow for my birthday. I'm very excited! But, if you know me at all, you know that I obsess over my house being perfect when anyone comes over. And when something hinders that, my temper flares. Which leads me to last night. My beloved bought a new pair of jeans that needed alteration. Long story extremely short, I sat down to taper (yea, me!) & hem them & got up 2 hours later, completely frustrated. I had more than one little tearful melt-down because for some reason still altogether unknown to me, the bobbin thread was a tangled mess not once, not twice, but 4 times. Meaning that the seam had to be ripped out 4 times! It finally (thankfully!) started working right, but no one would have thought me godly when I was in the midst of this project. To make matters worse, all this sewing made me get into bed 2 hours later than I should have to be fully rested for church this morning. Me minus a full 8 hours' sleep is not a pretty picture. So began another day of frustration.

And how did my day start? Well, with the hot water turning to frigid well before the end of my shower. Cold shower in the middle of the winter is, shall we say, unpleasant. But the rest of the morning went well, & off to church we went. We left church & stopped at Sonic for lunch because the meal that I fixed last night & planned for lunch leftovers was ruined by tough meat. Again, long story very short (I promise, you want that) after sitting in the drive through - as the first car, mind you - for almost 15 minutes, we get home to find the order wrong & the fry cartons half full. Tired & hungry do not a good combination make in this situation! But things always look better after some rest, so I laid down for a nap with my sweet Michael.

I woke up much earlier than I expected because I was sick to my stomach - I know, I know, that's what I get. I decided to get busy meeting the ever-dimming goal of house-perfecting, beginning with the kitchen. Upon opening the dishwasher to unload the dishes, what do I find, but several still dirty dishes! Thanks to this little development, I now have 2 more loads to wash instead of just one. On top of it all, my babies were chewing rawhides when about 15 minutes ago, there was this huge "CRACK!" & I found that Ginger has broken not one, but 2 teeth! Like, seriously?! If I were on the outside looking in, this whole thing would be comical.

Now, I've been a Christian long enough to know that when I'm bombarded with the same sorts of situations or temptations, God's busy getting my attention. In all of these instances, God is sovereignly working to graciously show me my sin of anger. It is an area in which I need loads of work. As I've said before, one verse that really speaks to me is James 1:19-21:

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."

I've already proven that I can't do this on my own. I am an angry person by nature. It certainly helps me to recite these verses to myself when I'm tempted to anger, but sometimes it happens so quickly that my faculties leave me, & I forget to turn to God's Word. The beauty of these verses is that they display both man's responsibility & God's work. We work to "be slow to anger" (in this instance) & to "put away all filthiness & rampant wickedness". But God implants His Word in our hearts, & all we're to do is "receive [it] with meekness"!

"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes and be careful to obey My rules." (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

I am responsible to follow God's commands & kill my own sin. But if I stop there, I become burdened by the knowledge that I can't do so. So, Paul reminds me that it is God who works in me. He gives me both the desire & the ability to obey Him. I can overcome my sin of anger - & every other sin - as long as I'm relying on God.

"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13)

"For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." (Romans 8:13)

And joy of joys, when I do fail - which as a sinner, I'm still going to do - I am freely given forgiveness upon repentance. I rely on Jesus' sacrifice on the cross to cover over my sin. I'm assured that I stand accepted, loved, & clothed in Christ's righteousness before God.

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1)

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith." (Romans 3:23-25)

"For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Comfort From God's Word

For this light 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)

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. (John 16:22)

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 1:2-4)

This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life. (Psalms 119:50)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 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.  For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.  (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

Count It All Joy

I just found the following at GirlTalk & thought it was extremely relevant to my last post.  Relevant & helpful.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds." ~James 1:2

"Life is full of hidden rocks, sudden violent winds of circumstances lying in wait for the believer. Every single one of them is embraced in James' word 'it'. There is no trial, no great calamity or small pressure, no overwhelming sorrow or small rub of life outside that plan of God, whereby it is a stepping stone to glory. And it is for this reason that our settled conviction must be to appraise it as all joy, not because it is joyful in itself (for 'all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant' [Heb. 12:11] when it is in full flood), but because 'later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness' (Heb. 12:11). In James' words, it is the only way forward to become perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." ~Alec Motyer