Drippings from the Honeycomb
More to be desired are [the rules of the Lord] than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:10)
In 1998 there was a country song called “Ordinary Life” by Chad Brock. Now I don’t listen to country music anymore, save for some classics—I prefer classical. However, the message of this song bears sketching. In the song, a man grows tired of going to church, cutting the grass, going to work, etc. He tires of his ordinary life. So he leaves his family only to realize his ordinary life was pretty good and he missed it.
Some Christians tire of the ordinary life in following Jesus. They long for something great or some great extraordinary experience. Someone once said, “unlike those most useless persons in Christian circles who are always waiting for great things to do, and who neglect the opportunities which lie to their hand, …let us do the little which lay to hand, and find that by doing the ‘next thing’ life becomes rich in opportunities for usefulness.” Now to be clear, Christianity is by nature extraordinary, conversion is a miracle, our life is lived by the Spirit. Yet at the same time, following Jesus is a cumulation of ordinary things. Even Jesus, when instituting the Lord’s Supper, took bread and the cup and gave an OC festival (itself instituted on ordinary things), new meaning. We call these ordinary things like Baptism and the Lord’s Supper ‘means of grace.’ In them the Lord has taken something ordinary and clad it with meaning so when we in faith do them we are blessed. The Lord’s Day, prayer, reading the Bible, pursuing holiness, serving, fellowshipping with believers, etc, these all are ordinary and yet yield much fruit over time. A recent question by a guest preacher reminded me of this growth. He asked what the church had looked for when they called me. Only one couple could answer because everyone else had come during those 5 years. One by one, ordinary growth, preaching 100 sermons a year and other ordinary ministerial duties of our people. So do not tire of the ordinary means of grace. They are how the Lord ordinarily works and blesses His Church. Let us do them faithfully and regularly and see what the Lord will do. I’m a natural born planner. I love a good plan when I see one, I marvel at a great one. Plans speak to the brilliance and insight of the planner, the wisdom of the execution and the good wrought by the plan. Plans are glorious things.
When we look at the big picture of the Bible we inevitably speak of God’s plan of salvation. It sometimes is described like this: in response to the Fall God initiated a plan whereby His grace made possible a way of salvation that culminated in Christ, and awaits His second coming (Fall, Redemption and Consummation). So far as plans go, it appears glorious but upon closer inspection is quite lacking. The plan makes salvation possible but not guaranteed. In fact, our total depravity dooms such a plan to fail. It is a plan dependent upon man, not God. We need salvation of the Lord. There are true elements in this popular sketch, however, as a great and glorious God, we would expect a far grander plan, and this is precisely what we find in the pages of Scripture (Eph 1:4–6; Ro 8:30). A four-hundred-year-old document articulates God’s biblical plan of salvation thus: This elect number [i.e. those given to Christ in eternity past], though by nature neither better nor more deserving than others, but with them involved in one common misery, God hath decreed to give to Christ, to be saved by Him, and effectually to call and draw them to His communion by His Word and Spirit, to bestow upon them true faith, justification and sanctification; and having powerfully preserved them in the fellowship of His Son, finally, to glorify them for the demonstration of His mercy and for the praise of His glorious grace. (Canons of Dort 1.7). Using modern planning language, we see every element of a great plan:
***Still in revision*** Rev. L.L. Langstroth, the father of modern beekeeping, was preaching in Dayton, OH on Oct 6, 1895. Because of his age he had to preach sitting down. He opened his sermon with these words, “Today I wish to speak to you about the love of God.” Then he died. As a preacher there would be no better way to go. Maybe the Lord was being merciful, sparing him from a difficult subject. While God’s love might seem simple enough, it is actually a difficult doctrine (not unlike the Trinity, providence or the atonement, etc).
This sermon was preached on May 5 at Jerseyville Baptist Church for their 200th anniversary, Mk 3: 20-21, 31-35. You have been praying about something, trying to discern God’s special/hidden will for you. (I.e. We don’t need to pray about whether or not to murder, or attend church or steel, etc—God has clearly revealed the answers to these in His general will, the Bible). Discern God’s special will is more circumstantial and revolves around, ‘what does God want me to be when I grow up,’ ‘who should I marry,’ ‘what job should I take,’ ‘where should I live,’ ‘what ministry is He calling me to,’ etc. Knowing we can mistake our desires for God’s, be unduly influenced by the world, and even be lead astray by demons—we must test the spirits (1 Jn 4:1).
Here are a few ways God can speak to us; how he might reveal His will. Sometimes many come together, like the Lord shouting an answer. All of them can be subjective and so much be beholden to the Word of God: 1.In prayer: Often when we are speaking to God, He speaks back. Are we listening? 2.Though God’s Word: When we read the Bible in context, the Spirit will often apply the message of a passage to us. Be ready for the living Word to speak! 3.In the Church: As we are faithful in this means of grace the Lord may speak through song or a sermon. Let us be diligent. 4.Through the wisdom of Christian friends: Proverbs says much about many counsellors. Turning to a trusted and wise Christian friends may reveal an answer. 5.By receiving an impression of heart: Sometimes the Lord simply impresses the answer deeply upon our heart or mind. 6.Through common truth/experience: As all truth is God’s truth, sometimes the Lord will use the strangest things (like a piece of music) to convict us of His will. 7.By reason: God gave us a brain to us, as we think through our question in light of God’s word things often begin to become clearer. 8.Circumstantially: If there are three options (A, B and C) when we go to bed, but in the morning only C, Providence has forced our hand. 9.Audibly or in Dreams/Visions: While less common, the Lord can speak or reveal an answer in a dream. However, despite all of these things, sometimes we must wait upon the Lord for an answer, doing His general will in the meantime; trusting He will direct us. If we embark on a certain course, believing it to be God’s will, we must remain open to re-direction. In all of these, we ultimately move forward in faith. Procrastination is when we put off something we know we should do, even when we know we will suffer as a result. It could be something as simple as not wanting to put out the garbage in the rain, then we miss the garbage truck and have to latter take it to the dump, but concerned about the cost of the dump we store it up at home and in time our house becomes a dump!
Psychologists note a variety of reasons why people procrastinate (low self [God]-confidence, anxiety [fear]). Some have even created two general behavioural types of procrastinators: anxiety and boredom/rebellion (that is they procrastinate so they get a thrill at the last minute or rebel and don’t want to do it).[1] We can procrastinate in coming to know and follow the Lord too, all to our harm. Why do people spiritually procrastinate? Why do they put off going to church, trusting in the Gospel, being baptized, joining a church? Why do they put off responding to a leader, calling to encourage someone, having that difficult conversation? Why do they put off reading their Bible, praying or any number of spiritual disciplines? Why do they put off killing that known sin in their life? Why do they do these things when they know they are wrong and they know they will harm them? It comes down to faith vs. fear and pride vs. humility in some form. God asked Cain a timeless question, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” (Gen 4:7) What is the spiritual reason for procrastination? The reasons may be complex but the Lord calls us to overcome them by rising to obedience in faith. How can we rule over procrastination or help others to do so? How to fight procrastination?
The same way the Lord deals with us, in grace and truth. We need to be gracious with procrastinators (remembering when we have and learning from this). We must be sympathetic and willing to listen for the reasons why someone might procrastinate so we can help address these. We need to seek to encourage folks to do right and offer any help we can in this regard. However, grace alone is not sufficient. We must also be truthful. We must seek to teach and spur and call and guide the procrastinator. All this is done in prayer. Truth graciously administered is the best medicine. So let us rise to trust the Lord and walk before Him in obedience and so overcome procrastination. [1] https://umsu.unimelb.edu.au/news/article/7797/The-Psychology-Behind-Procrastination/#:~:text=Psychologists%20have%20found%20various%20reasons,is%20emotion%20and%20mood%20regulation. WORTHLESS MEN. It is an Old Testament category of its own- and you don't want to be one! To be worthless can have two meanings: 1) perverted or wicked and 2) being good for nothing, useless, without profit or benefit. The first refers to not attaining to God's standards and the second to not contributing positively to your family or community. Question- Avoiding judgementalism, what caricature comes to mind when you think of a 'worthless man?' Look up the following Scriptural references and not what the context is and why the man/men are is being described as worthless. Use the following chart to summarize and expand. Job 11:11; Deut 13:13; Judg 9:4, 11:3, 19:22/20:13; 1 Sam 2:12, 10:27, 25:25, 30:22; 2 Sam 23:6; 1 Ki 21:10, 13
While worthless men certainly exist, is any man worthy? (Ro 3:23). Not referring to value as created in God's image, we are all worthless for we've not met God's holy standard nor aspired to His grand design for manhood.
Who alone is worthy? (Mk 1:7, Rev 4:11, 5:9). The worth of Jesus (axis) speaks of His tipping the balance, of His supreme weight of person and character. Through repentance and faith His worth may be imputed to us (credited righteousness) and His worth imparted to us through His Spirit and by His Word. Like David who gathered worthless men around him, we should seek to do the same in discipleship remembering those men eventually became leaders in his kingdom. As we are men of worth through Christ, like David, our worth becomes central to our witness in a world of worthless men. May the Lord save and transform many worthless men for His glory. What is a credible conversion? What ought we to expect of ourself or another who is converted so we might know who is saved and with whom we can have Christian fellowship.
While today ‘conversion’ has very negative connotations, biblically it is very positive. Conversion means to be transformed from one state (a sinner) into another (a saint). A key biblical word for this is metamorphosis (a glorious change), like that of an ugly worm into a beautiful butterfly. It is what happens to the believer who responds to the Good News of Jesus in repentance and faith (Acts 20:21). Like Faith and Following, repentance and faith are really flip sides of what we call conversion; they represent a change, a turning. Repentance means a change of mind, a sorrow over one’s sin and so a turning from it toward one’s only hope—the provision of forgiveness and new life in the Gospel. Faith (explored more in Saving Faith) means more than mere mental assent or belief (c.f. James 2:19), but an active trust, a crying out to Jesus for mercy, believing His promised offer of salvation to be true. It is personal trust in the Saviour. While the path to conversion may be very long (Engel’s Scale of Evangelism) and can even be parsed (Order of Salvation), conversion is always a moment (you can’t be 75% saved). The normative momentary nature is seen in across Scripture (e.g. Paul, Lydia, the Philippian Jailer). It is like the flipping of a coin; the sudden onset of a new season. However, sometimes conversion is more like a slow turning of a coin where someone grows in their realization of their sin and then imperceptibly in their faith in Jesus (e.g. the disciples. This can be true of children in Christian homes or an adult who has sat under the Gospel for some time). While it appears like a season of conversion, at some point there is a hidden moment when our heart believes. Whether in a moment or a season repentance and faith must be passed through, either consciously or evidently, for conversion to be credible. Do you have a clear understanding of the Gospel and a trust in it. Are you aware of your sinfulness, your need of and faith in a Saviour, and the assurance of salvation (Ro 8:13). (Have you been convicted, convinced and comforted?). Do you have a new softness of heart, a new love for God, regard for others, general humility, a desire to do God’s will. These were not present before but now by the regenerating and indwelling of the Spirit you are a ‘new creation’ (2 Cor 5:16). They are changed, permanently. Thus, repentance and faith are not just for conversion but the Christian life; they are traits of a truly changed person, “As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” (Col 2:6).
Reminiscent of George Orwell's 1984 there is some cause to question at least some of this advertisement. This is because a key tenant of the social-marxist ideology (woke) that drives the present government is bent on a disinformation campaign of its own. There is a perceptible campaign to condition people to its agenda and question other narratives (i.e. gender). The problem is that a key component of the campaign are emotional triggers (how convenient). However, there are lots of things that can trigger, be controversial, extraordinary or seem to good to be true.
Consider the Gospel; it is offensive (1 Cor 1:23; 2 Cor 2:16). Christ's death (and a host of other Biblical teachings, will be found to be offensive to our culture. It isn't because the Gospel is false that it is found to be an offense but because human hearts are proud and resistant to the truth. Might the Gospel become 'disinformation?' It is some places and has been in the past. There and back again is the subtitle to the children’s book The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937). It is the journey of a small hobbit from Hobbiton in the Shire to the Lonely Mountain on the other side of Middle Earth. Along the way he passes through many dangers but in the end returns safely home.
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