FreeTruth

Bondage and the Providence of God: Genesis 43-Exodus 6

October 10th, 2010
by timshorey

This week’s RMMR readings take us from Genesis 43 through Exodus 6; from Joseph’s ongoing sufferings in Egypt, through God’s intervention through Joseph to save the children of Jacob/Israel, through an early Exodus update that these children of Israel are now suffering again in great bondage, through to the early signs of God’s returning, intervening, and delivering hand. I love the notes of divine compassion struck in Exodus 3:7.

But perhaps the key verse that bridges these chapters is found in Genesis 50:20. What really bad people and even worse devils mean for evil, God always means for good. Mark it down: whether you are locked up in an Egyptian jail or chained to a tyrannical slave-driver or simply facing a dozen dripping faucets threatening to drive you mad or into despair—you must remember this: God is never absent, never caught off guard, never surprised by your afflictions, and never once over-matched by them.

In fact—they are all part of his plan; he means them for your good! God never allows anything to come our way that does not have a specific divine good purpose behind it. Keep in mind this passage and others like 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 and Romans 8:28.

Take it from this man—I speak as one who’s seen a good measure of trials. I’ve never yet met a trial in which I have not been able to see the good hand of God. It is always there, and sooner or later it will be seen. Again the words of an old saint come to mind:

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

Posted in Providence | 8 Comments »

Jacob and Free Electing Grace: Genesis 29-42

October 3rd, 2010
by timshorey

This week’s RMMR readings will take us from Genesis 29 through 42.

It’s a messy story. These accounts of the patriarchs of our faith are not sanitized. These are messed up people with messed up lives. Esau was a loser. Jacob—one of our fathers in the faith—was a scoundrel; a conniving low-down creep.

But God chose him. Long before he was born—and in full omniscient view of all the sins that Jacob would commit. God said: “Mine!” over Jacob. And God’s, Jacob became.

This story is our story. No exceptions. We’re all scoundrels with no natural heart for God; only a natural bent to hate him and disobey. But when God chooses, he never loses. He pursues us with strong irresistible grace until his wooing wins our hearts and makes us new.

He’ll wrestle with us until he pins us with grace.

And because this is the story we all have, we all can only praise the sovereign electing mercy of God (that’s what Romans 9:6-18 is all about). If I’m now a reborn Jacob rather than an rejected Esau, it’s not because I was smart enough or responsive enough or willing enough to come to God’s side. It’s because God wrestled with my guilty, sin-gripped soul and remade my will, enabling me to be willing to come to him.

It’s all grace, all God, all to his glory.

Simple as that.

O come let us sing and dance for joy!

Posted in Election, Grace | 2 Comments »

Abraham, Faith, Flaws, and Grace: Genesis 17-28

September 24th, 2010
by timshorey

This coming week’s RMMR readings are found in Genesis 17-28.

The story of Abraham is really the story of your faith heritage and mine, for Abraham is the “father of all who believe” (Galatians 3:6-29; Romans 4:13-22). For this reason we should read carefully to see how faith in the Messiah and the righteousness that comes through faith is typified in this man’s life.

As you read Abraham’s story, you will notice his flaws. They are real; they are pronounced; they are even shocking. The same man who left his homeland to follow God…who believed that God would give him a son even though he was old and his wife’s womb was as good as dead…who then later was willing to offer his son as a sacrifice—is the man who lied and compromised and failed in other ways.

Always remember that the stories of the Old Testament are not primarily about the human characters in them; they are more so about the God revealed through them. And in Abraham’s case the God revealed is one of extraordinary grace. He justifies this man on the basis of his simple faith—even though that faith proved very flawed. Brother and sister, here’s today’s word for your soul: in the face of your many flaws hang on to God’s much grace.

This brings to mind the words of an old Puritan that I leave with you as solace for our guilty souls:

Weak Christians look more on their sins than on their graces; yet God looks on their graces and overlooks their sins and infirmities. The Holy Ghost said, “Ye have heard of the patience of Job.” He might also have said, “Ye have heard of the impatience of Job,” but God reckons His people not by what is bad in them, but by what is good in them. Mention is made of Rahab’s entertainment of the spies, but no mention is made that she told a lie when she did so. That which was well done was mentioned to her praise, and what was amiss, is buried in silence, or, at least, is not recorded against her and charged upon her. He who drew the picture of Alexander, with his scar on his face, drew him with his finger on his scar. God lays the finger of mercy upon the scars of our sins, O it is good serving such a master, who is ready to reward the good we do, and is ready to forgive and pass by what is amiss. Therefore, you who have but little grace, yet remember that God will have His eye on that little grace. He will not quench the smoking flax, not break the bruised reed. (Christopher Love)

Posted in Confidence, Grace | 3 Comments »

RMMR Thoughts: The Early Chapters of Genesis

September 22nd, 2010
by timshorey

As TFCers read their RMMR devotionals for this week, here are a few thoughts to keep in mind (taken from my TruthWalk talk this past Sunday AM):

The Essentials of a Biblical Doctrine of Creation

1. The biblical view of creation is a polemic against all –isms and ideologies throughout history.

A “polemic” (according to Merriam Webster is “an aggressive attack on or refutation of the opinions or principles of another.”
The account of creation assaults all other views of God and life in this world.

2. God made everything out of nothing.

Genesis 1:1 clearly is implying that everything in the cosmos was made by God. He made all things—which means that he made all things out of nothing—through the Word of His power alone.

3. God is transcendent over creation (not in any way a part of creation), but is also immanent with creation.

4. God is personal.

This is a being Who talks and speaks and thinks and relates and creates and plans and delights and commands and rules and shares! He is a Person.

5. Creation is good.

The recurring words—“and it was good…and it was very good”—signal a radical message for the ancient world and for all ascetic types who call this world and physical pleasures bad (see also 1 Timothy 4:1-4).

6. Nature and Scripture are Volumes 1 and 2 of God’s self-disclosure to man, and therefore they will always agree when rightly interpreted (Psalm 19:1-3; Romans 1:19, 20)

7. The people, places and events of Genesis 1 and 2 are historical facts, not myths.

We know this because everywhere else in the Bible—including in the words and teachings of Jesus himself—these events are referred to as actual history!

The Implications of a Biblical View of Origins

1. You now can know where to begin in answering every single question of your life: with God your Creator.

2. You now can know a Christian attitude toward pleasure, fun, food, and the things of this world: enjoy them with a grateful heart (without violating God’s Law or trampling people’s needs in the process).

3. You now can know that unbelief is inexcusable (and that the complaint: “if there is a God-why doesn’t he show himself” is patently false).

4. You now can know how to view history and your place in it: when we speak of a beginning we hint at a story, and story-line, and we’re a part of that story.

5. You now need to know that this is not the foundational viewpoint of the public school the government, the media, Hollywood, and every other major player in today’s world. Consequently, every opinion they give about politics, marriage, sex, history, science—and all other fields of human study and behavior—will be affected by an anti-supernatural bias.

Posted in Creation | 1 Comment »

On Blogging Hold While Living in Nineveh

August 19th, 2010
by timshorey

Hey folks–I know my blogging has been erratic of late, but it is with pretty good reason. There are seasons of church life in which both great joys and great needs conspire to create great ministry demands. We’re in such a season–and I don’t forsee it ending soon.

As I prayerfully watch over the flock entrusted to TFC’s pastoral team it’s clear to me that these next 6-12 months are going to be filled with intense labor. Marriages and familes need much help. The teaching diet of the church needs constant watchcare. Some folks are dabbling in errors with one degree of gravity or another. Others are stuck in resentments and fears and sin patterns. While we have many fine men and teenaged boys, there is a great need to light a fire of godly ambition under many of them–and this is going to take concerted effort.

Besides: I live in Nineveh.

Recently I heard that Toms River (with perhaps a couple of neighboring towns thrown in) is populated by 125,000 people, 123,000 of which make no profession of faith in Jesus Christ alone as Savior. God reminded me last evening that that 123, 000 number is biblically familiar: something like it is found in Jonah 4:11. God had pity on Nineveh and sent them a powerful witness because 120,000+ people there had no spiritual clue.

I live in Nineveh, and Nineveh calls. And along with all the pastoral callings I’ve cited above, I’ve got to do more to answer this one. I’ve been pleading with God in recent years for an ever-increasing burden for the pitiful state of the lost and for the glorious fame of Christ. He’s answering that prayer, and I must now act with ever-increasing zeal.

All this is to say that my blogging is going to be greatly reduced for the foreseeable future. I hope to do one per week this fall, one connected to TFC’s RMMR reading schedule through the Old Testament, providing once a week devotional reflections on a reading for that week. But beyond that it’ll be mostly silent for now.

In the meantime I remind you that you live in Nineveh too. We need more Jonahs.

Only make sure that your Jonah ministry has a bit more enthusiasm than his did!

Posted in Uncategorized | 20 Comments »

Satisfied with the God Who Strengthens Me

August 11th, 2010
by timshorey

God gives strength to the trusting weary in his time through Christ according to their need to do the remarkable.

My main point in my Friday PM message to the youth camp crowd.

See if you can see it from my text: Isaiah 40:28-31.

Pray that you can live it today.

Grace and peace.

Tim S.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Youth Camp: Satisfied with God

August 10th, 2010
by timshorey

Pray for the 28 TFCers (including me) who are headed to youth camp tomorrow AM. The theme for the week (Wednesday-Saturday) is: Being Satisfied with God.

The teens and their parents will receive eight messages in the next few days–all aiming to so dazzle our youth with the glory and goodness of God that they truly will want nothing besides him, no matter what.

What do you think: are you there yet?

Remember: contentment is not being satisfied with what you have; it’s being satisfied with Who you have whether you have anything else or not. And God is the only Who big enough to fill that role. Is God your enough?

I get to speak on the enoughness of God no matter what trials we may face. Having faced a fair measure of sorrow, I get to speak from the vantage of having tasted the soul-satisfying worth of God in the crucible of pain and sorrow.

Pray that all will feast on God and come home full.

Posted in Christian Life, Contentment | 4 Comments »

A Lord’s Day Enjoyed

August 8th, 2010
by timshorey

Just a note to let you know that God met with his people in TFC this morning: stirring songs, heartfelt prayer, rich communion around the table, the opportunity to give freely from that which has been given to us, and Scott S’ great Word from God about God.

“We embrace not only the Word of God but the God of the Word.” That statement from Scott about said it all.

Two hours with God’s people: better than two years or decades anywhere else.

Simply true.

Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments »

Some Ways to Enjoy the Lord’s Day More Fully (7): Vertical and Horizontal Concerns

August 7th, 2010
by timshorey

Let me offer two more brief words to help you get ready for tomorrow’s worship.

First, determine to go vertical without the fear of man. There is no escaping the fact that biblical worship was expressive and exuberant, a form of “spiritual letting loose of the soul”. From David’s example of almost reckless worship (which won the clear approval of God, though disapproval of man) to the repeated calls to sing and shout for joy, to clap, to dance, to kneel, to fall on the face, and to lift hands, it is clear that true worship must sooner or later go vertical with expressive exuberance or else something is missing. Folks: love God more than you fear man.

Second, horizontally, give others the benefit of the doubt. Don’t judge the unexpressive as being “dead” or the expressive as being “showy.” You cannot read hearts, so don’t try.

That said, we must all seek to worship God as he commands and commends in his Word. If we do, it will show up in loud singing, shining faces, manifestly glad hearts, and visible expressiveness.

Psalm 95:1-6

1Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
3 For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
7 For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.

Amen and Amen.

Posted in Christian Life, Church, Worship | No Comments »

Some Ways to Enjoy the Lord’s Day More Fully (6): Pay Really Close Attention

August 5th, 2010
by timshorey

It’s one of those Bible ideas that gives me the jitters, but I cannot escape it, and cannot fail to teach it either: a pastor’s teaching saves his hearers. Shepherds are called to save, defend, protect, feed, and nourish their sheep (1 Timothy 4:16; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; Acts 20:28), and the sheep are called to pay close attention–really close attention to what they say (Titus 2:15; James 1:19-21; 1 Thessalonians 5:12; Hebrews 13:7, 17).

In a word or two: pastors are to labor hard in teaching the Word, and hearers are to labor just as hard in hearing what they say! How hard do you work at hearing your pastors’ teachings? With the Bereans as a model of how to hear (Acts 17:11) can I suggest a pattern of hearing for you to follow.

Again–as said yesterday–let’s distinguish between principle and application. Principle: give priority earnest attention to the teaching of your pastors. Application: develop your own diligent method of hearing your pastors that makes sure that what you hear gets into your spiritual bones and veins.

Here is a suggested process for you (BTW–every true pastor has walked through a process as least similar to this before he preaches or else he’s a hypocrite; if in preparing to preach the Word he is not processing that Word in such a way that it is seeping into his soul system and life, he’s a Pharisee (Matthew 23:1-4)).

That said I wonder if there are any out there who might experiment with something like this for six months and see the difference it makes for their souls:

Step One–relisten to the message
Step Two–look up every text referred to in the message, making sure as best you can that the texts used were used accurately by your pastor
Step Three–draw conclusions about what was taught, putting main points into your own words, and listing the truths you’ve learned about God, life, gospel, sin, etc. from this message. Jot down any questions about the message that you need answers for.
Step Four–ask the “Now what?” question: now what am I going to do with what I have learned? Pray for wisdom and grace to apply.
Step Five–if you are a head of household take initiative to lead your family through at least the conclusions of your study
Step Six–share what you have learned with at least one person.
Step Seven–on Saturday night or early Sunday morning review the message and your conclusions/applications from the Sunday before to see if any of it has stuck.

This process might well begin on Sunday afternoon or evening, then be picked up again every day or every other day throughout the week.

Can I say this? I really do believe that for people to go on and listen to other teachers/preachers during the week before they have really paid attention in a way similar to this to their pastors is a big mistake. It is better to listen to one of your pastor’s messages really well than to listen to several preachers/teachers hurriedly and without a testing and application process firmly in place.

Any takers?

Posted in Christian Life, Church, Spiritual disciplines, Worship | 4 Comments »