Posted on March 25, 2009 by mattmo865
“And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.”
Judges 2:10
This was the second generation after the Israelites who were led by Moses and Aaron out of slavery in Egypt. All of that generation except for two – Joshua and Caleb – perished in the wilderness. The next generation, led by Joshua, crossed over the Jordan and proceeded to conquer the cities and kingdoms of Canaan, to possess the land God gave to them. Then Joshua dies, and the next verse delivers the sad news.
The parents of this generation, the one that “did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel”, had witnessed some of the most amazing works of God recorded in Scripture. They were there when the Jordan was dried up so they could cross over on dry land. They saw the walls of Jericho fall down when the people shouted. They saw firsthand the amazing things that God did for his people in bringing them to the promised land, yet their children grew up without knowing God or all he had done. This led to Israel’s cycle of idol worship, repentance, restoration, and back to idol worship. The neglect of one generation to pass on the legacy and truth of God’s love and faithfulness contributed to, if not caused, the next generation to experience God’s discipline, including defeat at the hands of their enemies. It resulted in Israel being overthrown and taken back into captivity and slavery.
Maybe it’s not the saddest verse in the Bible, but it’s got to be in the top five. It shows how, in the relatively short span of one generation, so much can be lost. It serves not just as a sad commentary on failure in Israel’s history, but also as a warning to us of what can happen if we are not faithful and diligent to pass on to the next generation what is truly important and eternal.
Filed under: Observations, Parenting | 1 Comment »
Posted on March 21, 2009 by mattmo865
“If God had perceived that our greatest need was economic, he would have sent an economist. If he had perceived that our greatest need was entertainment, he would have sent us a comedian or an artist. If God had perceived that our greatest need was political stability, he would have sent us a politician. If he had perceived that our greatest need was health, he would have sent us a doctor. But he perceived that our greatest need involved our sin, our alienation from him, our profound rebellion, our death; and he sent us a Savior.”
– D.A. Carson, A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers
Filed under: Observations, Quotable | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 20, 2009 by mattmo865
Think that Pharisees are only found in the Bible? J.D. Greear has a very eye-opening (and very convicting) post at Between the Times. He lists three things from Matthew 23 that characterized the Pharisees of Jesus’ day: they loved missions, they loved doctrine, and they taught disciplined obedience. So what’s wrong with that, you may ask? Find out by reading the article here.
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Posted on March 19, 2009 by mattmo865
So often people speak of religion today as if it were just another element to life, like any other hobby or interest that someone might pursue. They will speak in very complimentary ways of all the positive things that spirituality contributes to life, putting it on the same level as exercising regularly or flossing every day. This is especially true when dealing with religion in general, and even sometimes with respect to Christianity. It is often presented as a message of, “Is your life a puzzle that’s not quite coming together? Jesus may be the missing piece you’re looking for; try Him out and see what He can do for you!”
But our problem is much deeper than a “missing piece to the puzzle of life”. The problem is that sin has not only separated us from God, but it has placed us under His wrath, completely condemned and without hope. This is why the gospel of “give Jesus a try” is ultimately a failure; it offers no answer for the real problem we all face. The spiritual things we may do – praying, reading the Bible (or other holy books), doing good deeds, etc., may give loads of warm fuzzies, but in the end they are ultimately and completely worthless.
Jesus did not come to show us what a good life well-lived looks like. He did not come merely to show us how to serve and forgive. He came because without His sacrificial death and resurrection, every person stands condemned by his or her sin, and can never escape the wrath of a just and holy God. This has never been a popular message, but to understand otherwise is to be terribly deceived.
I was reminded of this when I read this quote:
“What Christ is as Savior perfectly dovetails our deepest and most ultimate need. This is just saying that Christ’s sufficiency as Savior meets the desperateness and hopelessness of our sin and misery.
Christ is exactly suited to all that I am in my sin and misery and to all that I should aspire to be by God’s grace. Christ fits in perfectly to the totality of our situation in its sin, guilt, misery, and ill-desert.”
– John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1955), 111
Christ came to meet our most desperate need. Not the need to “live your best life now”, but to have life, and to stand justified before the Father, through the work of the Son. If you don’t have that, then all you have is religion.
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Posted on March 18, 2009 by mattmo865
Steve Burchett, at Christian Communicators Worldwide, has a helpful post about using a study Bible. One point of his helpful advice:
“Don’t use a Study Bible as your primary Bible. Regular Bible reading, group study, and personal study should be out of a Bible without study notes. This eliminates the temptation to look away from what God has said.”
For the rest of his pointers, read the entire article here.
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Posted on March 17, 2009 by mattmo865
Josh Brahm provides detailed documentation of how the media got it wrong – again.
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Posted on March 12, 2009 by mattmo865
An article in Time magazine covers 10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now, and I bet you’re going to be surprised at #3: “The New Calvinism”. The article gives shout-outs to John Piper, Mark Driscoll, and Albert Mohler as examples of the growing evangelical Calvinist movement. David Crowder and Colin Hansen are also mentioned. You can read the whole story here.
Filed under: Culture, Observations, Theology | Leave a comment »
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